The Mysterious Ways Of Love
by BePassionate24
Summary: Life has a way of throwing us a curve ball and making us all think twice about the things we want. But, for Elena Gilbert, It was the fact that she was about to get engaged to her long time college boyfriend that scared her. That was until, she fled and never looked back. All Human & A/U.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! So to be honest, I have no idea where I'm going with this one. But I really liked the idea that came to me at 2am last night..lol. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries, I just love the characters and use them for my own writing fun! **

**Anyways, as always Enjoy & Hopefully you'll like this fun story :) **

**Follow Me On Twitter for updates: Green_Eyes1989**

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE-The Mysterious Ways Of Love-**

She was standing in the middle of her two story house as Daniel Green was kneeling in front of her. He had been the love of her life since they were teenagers and for Elena, she knew no other. They had met at Florida State University and once they started talking, they became inseparable. Elena had even gushed to her best friends Bonnie Bennet and Caroline Forbes who lived in New York about the fact that she one day, couldn't wait to be, Mrs. Elena Green.

But looking down at the beautiful round 14 karat gold engagement ring in the box that he held within his shaking hands, scared her to death. Yes, she loved Daniel Green with all of her heart and soul and she couldn't picture her life without him, up until the point that he asked her to marry him.

"Elena, sweetheart. I love you with my heart and soul. Please, make me the happiest man on earth and become my wife?" Daniel asked her with a grin as he bent down and pulled out a black box and began to recite his speech.

Her dark brown eyes blinked at him and then she could feel her face getting redder by the minute, when she cleared her throat and finally after two agonizing minutes spoke up, the words spilled out and she was even a bit shocked by her confession.

"Daniel, I love you...I really do. But, I can't do this! I'm not fiancé or even wife material. For god sakes, I almost made out with your best friend Matt Donovan after you both had gotten drunk at the bar the other night. I can't do this..I'm not ready to be committed to you." And there it was, the truth! Ever since he had been sneaking around her back and making secret plans with Matt for them to go out 'shopping'. Elena, knew exactly what was going on. Daniel had been planning to propose for months now and to be honest, she had been planning her escape from him and the small town of Irvington, Virginia for even longer than that.

"I can't breathe in this town and I can't stay with you!" She explained as she turned away from him and just as she was about to leave a flabbergasted Daniel, still standing on one knee in front of her in the living room. He spoke in an usually calm tone. "I knew that they were right about you. You're like that fucking runaway bride. Things get good for you with someone and then you get cold feet and take off. Well, where ever it is that you decide that you need to go, just make sure that you don't come running back to me in six months!" Daniel told her angrily as he got up off the ground and ran his fingers through his blonde hair in frustration.

"I guess if we're being honest about feelings, I might as well inform you that I slept with that roommate of yours during our senior year in Florida." Daniel informed her as he watched her turn around with a red and flushed face.

"Well, then. I'm sure that once I'm out of the picture, then you and Anna will have a great life together." Elena shot back as she picked up her purse and then walked over to their storage room closet and pulled out a large duffel bag full of the things she knew she would need.

"So, you've been planning this for a while now, haven't you?" He asked her as he stepped closer towards her and eyed the duffel bag that was loosely hanging off her shoulder.

"As a matter of fact, I have! Have a nice life Daniel and make sure to let Anna know that your freshly single." Elena told him with a wink as she walked out of the house, not even bothering to look back at the man that she had one day thought that she would be spending forever with.

* * *

She slammed the back door of her Honda Pilot shut as she leaned against it and exhaled deeply. Something in the late Virginia air told her that this wasn't going to be easy. But, she knew that deep down a change would be better then living a lie like the one she had been for the past two years.

After they had met, Daniel and Elena had bought the large and lavish two story house with the help of his wealthy parents. Moving in together and being with each other almost every day was like a slap in the face for her. Yeah, she thought that she could love him more over time, or would love him even. But, it was the small things about him that drove her crazy.

Daniel had a bit of a flirting problem and when it came down to going out with his buddies after a long day at the office of his dad's engineering firm where both him and Elena had worked at. She couldn't stand the sight of him as she watched him knock back a few beers with his boys and then get all flirty with the next girl he would lay his blue eyes on. The worst part of it all was that Elena would sit back and watch it all un fold in front of her because he had suggested that she go out with him as well.

The flirting was the last straw and it was the breaking point for her. Yet, when she had told him that she wanted him to stop. Daniel usually would just laugh it off and act as if it was completely harmless.

So, maybe it had all been building up to this point and time when she sat in her car and turned the ignition on, still having no idea where she was going to go. Until she remembered the words that her best friends had told her two months ago. _Come visit New York anytime._

Elena laughed to herself as she picked up her cell phone with her red nail polished finger nails and dialed the familiar number. Granted, it had only been a few days since she had spoken to Caroline or Bonnie. But, she still felt like she had talked to them just hours ago whenever they answered the phone with a cheerful hello, Elena knew that they were probably both smiling as much as she was on the other line.

"Hey Care. It's me!" She told her.

"Hey babes! So what happened did he propose or were you just speculating...?" Caroline asked her eagerly on the other line.

"About that...Um, that's the whole reason I was calling you. Caroline, I need to get out of Irvington and I need to get away for a while." Elena commented with a sigh as she heard Caroline gasp.

"What happened? Do I need to send Tyler, the peace maker husband of mine to kick Daniel Green's ass?" Caroline said with a laugh.

"No...no, It's not Daniel. Caroline, I'm the problem...I don't see a future with him and I just-" Elena began to say as Caroline huffed out a breath.

"Oh My God! You told him no!" She exclaimed.

Elena let out a sigh before she replied with a shake of her head. "Yeah, I guess you can say that."

"Elena, you love him and you guys make such a wonderful couple. I don't understand why you wouldn't want to marry him." Caroline countered.

"Well, I know of a reason or two that I could list off. I loved him, Caroline. It's past tense now and right before I left the house, he told me that he slept with Anna in Florida!" Elena explained in an irritated tone.

"Oh geeze, that is bad! Do you know what you're going to do now?" Caroline asked her with a curious tone.

"Well, that's why I was calling. I was thinking of visiting with you and Tyler for a while and then going up to that Bed and Breakfast that Bonnie and Jeremy own and seeing them as well." She informed her.

"That sounds like a plan! I'll make sure to clean up a bit and you just let me know when your close." Caroline commented gleefully.

"Okay, I guess I'll be seeing you in about 6 hours then. And Caroline, please don't tell Bonnie that I'm coming. I want to surprise them. See you soon darling." Elena said with a smile on her face as she heard Caroline wish her a safe trip.

As she pulled out of the driveway and left the only home that she had known for the last two years, she hoped that leaving Daniel would allow her to be set free from all the years of guilt that she had spent trying so hard to love him. Yet, always feeling like there was something missing in her life, something that she needed. Maybe it was that excitement or spark in a relationship that Elena was so desperately searching for and until she found it, she wouldn't rest easily.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO-The Mysterious Ways Of Love**

She had been driving for hours when she had finally called Caroline to tell her that she needed the directions to her house that she shared with her husband of three years, Tyler Lockwood. Elena had always known that they would get married, even in high school they had been best friends and they had even stayed in Virginia together and gone to the same college.

Elena hadn't really thought about her plans as to what she was going to do when she got to New York. Leaving Daniel had been a huge part of the life change that she needed, but she still felt as if her life was scattered with problems that were never solved and now on top of leaving her rich fiancée, there was the fact that she was unemployed too and that she had basically given everything to Daniel once she had taken her last steps from the home that they had shared.

Calling Caroline had been a spur of the moment decision and it had seemed to work in her favor when she had gotten the directions and ended up in front of a huge one story ranch style home with a large gate in the front of it. The house was clearly something that Elena had always pictured them to have. Tyler was a high profile criminal defense attorney and Caroline was his paralegal. They had managed to work for themselves and by the time they had gotten settled and married after college, it was clear that Caroline had gotten the good life.

Elena was exhausted and deep in her thoughts when she leaned her head against the steering wheel. She was thinking about Daniels words to her and his confession of sleeping with her so called best friend and ex-roommate, Anna. The two had been inseparable and Elena had loved her like a sister, but deep down she always knew that the flirting between Daniel and Anna had probably escalated to more while she had been away from school, visiting Bonnie and Jeremy in New York.

But a light tapping on the driver's side window had broken her train of thought when she looked up and locked eyes on Caroline Lockwood's brighten blue eyes and delighted smile. "Oh My God! Get your little butt out of that car Miss Gilbert and come over and give your best friend a hug!" Caroline shrieked with excitement as she watched Elena's head rise from its place on the steering wheel with a wide smile on her face.

Elena stepped out of the car and nearly stumbled into Caroline's embrace as she caught her footing and grabbed a hold of her best friend's shoulders to get her balance.

"Elena, have you driving drunk...again?" Tyler teased as he came up from behind Caroline, out of the dimly lit front yard with a huge smile on his face.

"Mr. Lockwood! It's so good to see you again!" Elena commented as she squeezed Caroline's hands and then let them go as Tyler smiled over at them both and extended his arms up into the air.

"Where's my hug?" He asked her, playfully sounding offended. Elena smiled at him and then walked over to Tyler and gave him a hug as well.

They broke the hug when Caroline laughed and clapped her hands in excitement. "I can't wait for you to see everyone again! Bonnie and Jeremy are going to flip out when they see you!" Caroline said with an excited tone as Elena smiled at her. "It's good to be surrounded by you guys. Thank for you letting me crash here."

"It's not a problem. So, my wife tells me that you broke up with Daniel...Seriously, Elena?" Tyler said.

"TYLER!" Caroline screamed as she swatted at his shoulder and he laughed it off. "I'm sorry babe. I guess you shouldn't tell me things anymore!" He said in a defensive tone.

"Elena, I'm sorry! It slipped out of my mouth when he was in the kitchen and I was on the phone with you. I shouldn't have said anything to him. But, I just-" Caroline began to explain as she poked Tyler with her elbow and gave him a warning look.

"It's fine. Tyler, it's better that you hear it straight from me then someone else. Yes, Daniel and I are done. I left him and I called Caroline because I need to stay here just for the night until I can go visit Bonnie and Jeremy up at the bed and breakfast." Elena explained as she turned and walked towards the back seat of her car, opening the door as she pulled out her duffle bag.

"You're just staying for the night?" Caroline asked her in a confused tone, watching as Elena nodded.

"Yes. I am. I was going to stay longer. But, I need to see Bonnie and Jeremy, to explain to them what's going on before they hear it from someone in Daniel's family. Because, we all know how fast news travels in Irvington and it's better if they hear it from me, face to face." Elena said with a shrug of her shoulders as she slammed the car door and followed behind Tyler, who was opening the front door.

"Fine, I guess you'll be missing out on all the fun that I had planned. Darn it! At least promise me that before you go back down towards Irvington, that you'll stop by here again. Oh and when you go to pick up the rest of your stuff from that scrum bag, you'll need a new outfit. I need some major shopping time with you, anyways." Caroline told her a she slung her arm around Elena's shoulders and pulled her into another hug. "I promise." Elena told her with a smile on her face.

* * *

The next morning all seemed to rush into a blur as Elena spent some quality time with Caroline and then they both talked to Tyler about the best way of getting Elena to Jeremy and Bonnie's without her getting lost.

"So, here's this and then if the GPS starts to direct you the other way, just tell it to shut the hell up because mostly likely it will be wrong. You're going to pass by this forest clearing and a huge sign that will read "Stella's B&B." Tyler explained as he handed her the written directions and gave her a hug. "Have a safe trip and call us, if you need anything." He told her in a serious tone as he watched her hug Caroline tightly and then she nodded at both of them. "Thank you guys! Love you!" She told them as she got into her car and drive out of their circular driveway.

* * *

The drive was a scenic beauty, filled with lavish and lush green trees and nothing but forest for miles. But, Elena had rolled down the windows and was blasting her favorite Alex Clare song as she drove through the area, enjoying the cold breeze that hit her face. She was singing along with the blaring music, when she instantly slammed on her breaks and her whole body went numb.

She watched as the guy in front of her on his dark blue and white Yamaha motorcycle, nearly went flying into the ditch in front of him as he too slammed on his breaks, getting off the motorcycle on wobbly legs as he walked over to her stopped car, clearly angry that she had almost ran him over.

"What the hell is your problem! Jesus Christ, lady! You almost ran me over!" He yelled at her in an anger tone as she watched him flip open his helmet and his darkened green eyes met her brown ones.

Elena shook her head and had to swallow hard when she spoke with a shaky tone. "I'm sorry! I didn't see you! I thought that you were going to make a turn down that road and when you didn't I thought that I could pass you. But, when you slammed on your breaks, It was already too late and my car almost hit you!"

"Well, look wherever it is that you're from, your obviously not from New York. We do things differently around here! Watch out next time!" He warned as he slammed his fist on the roof top of Elena's car and she jumped at the noise. She watched as he got onto his motorcycle and sped off without another word or another glance in her direction.

"What a jackass!" She said under her breath as she put her car into drive and merged back onto the road, hoping that she could get to Bonnie's soon. So that she could tell her how rude the people that lived in her area were.

* * *

After a short fifteen minute car ride, she had finally parked her car in front of the cream colored building that had a large white and red sign that read "Stella's Bed & Breakfast." Elena quickly grabbed her purse after she shut the car off and ran towards the building, not even noticing who was behind the counter when she entered the warmth of the establishment.

"You have got to be kidding me!" His voice cut through her thoughts as she locked her eyes with the familiar green color in his and all Elena could manage to say was "You again."

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**A/N: Hey Guys! So let me know what you think! The jerk on the motorcycle, is it Stefan? :) Hope you enjoyed reading this update.**

**-Until Next Time-**

**Follow Me on Twitter for Updates: Green_Eyes1989 **

**Thanks for Reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey Guys! Here's Chapter 3! Hope you all like it. Please leave me a comment with your thoughts. It's much appreciated! :) **

**Thanks for reading & Enjoy! Follow me on Twitter for updates: Green_Eyes1989. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries in any way, I just use the characters for my own fun. :) **

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**CHAPTER THREE**

"You!" Elena nearly growled through gritted teeth as he smiled at her, running his hands through his dark brown hair.

"I have a name...Miss...?" He began to ask just as the back door of the B&B flung open and Bonnie came in, holding a box full of towels. "Stefan! Will you help me with these?" She asked, making her way towards the front of the lobby area where Elena was standing with her hands on her hips and a displeased look on her face.

Bonnie handed the box over to Stefan and wiped her hands onto her light colored jeans as she looked up and nearly screamed with excitement. "Oh My God! Elena!" She shouted as Stefan set the box down onto the floor by an old wooden table and straightened himself out, looking over at the two women who were now squealing and embracing each other tightly.

He watched them in total confusion as the two women broke apart from each other. Both of them smiling from ear to ear. "My God. It's been like what two years since I saw you last?" Bonnie asked, still holding onto Elena's hands tightly.

"Yeah, about that. Bonnie, I'm sorry that I didn't keep in contact with you more. You were just busy with this place and my brother and..." Her voice trailed off.

"None sense! Your here, Now! That's all I care about! Just wait until your brother see's you..he's going to have a heart attack!" Bonnie told her in an excited tone as she let go of Elena's hands and they both jumped a bit when they heard Stefan clear his throat.

"Oh my. I'm sorry. Elena this is Stefan Salvatore. His brother and him are doing some remodeling on the B&B. He's a contractor and part time employee that I hired to help me with the heavy stuff...I sprained my ankle a month ago and it's still messed up. So, whenever Jeremy is busy. I ask one of these guys to help me out." Bonnie explained as they both watched Stefan smile at them.

He pushed himself off of the wall that he was leaning against and walked over to Elena. Extending his hand out as a grin crept upon his face. "Oh, I've already met Elena over here. She tried to kill me with her car!" He turned as he spoke to Bonnie and watched as the young woman's face contorted with horror.

"What?" Bonnie asked in a confused tone as she turned towards Elena. Her cheeks bright red from the sudden admission on Stefan's part.

"It was an accident. I thought that he was going to be turning down another road and when he slammed on his breaks. He nearly went flying into a ditch. It was nothing more than an accident. I mean, look at him. He's alive, isn't he?" Elena tried to explain as she ran her fingers through her hair and looked over at Bonnie with apologetic eyes.

"Barely." Stefan cut in quickly as he placed his hand over his heart and winked at Elena.

Bonnie rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, he's fine. I'm surprised though because the way he drives on that motorcycle, you would think that you were going to die when you rode with him." Bonnie commented as she stuck her tongue out playfully at Stefan.

He rolled his eyes at her and then laughed. "Oh, you know you love it, Bonnie. Anyways, I'm off to go make sure that my brother is actually doing some work out on that addition and not fooling around with his girlfriend. See you around, killer." Stefan said with another wink, turning fully toward Elena as he disappeared out of their view with a huge smile on his face.

Once Stefan left. Bonnie dragged Elena to sit down on a white colored sofa that was in the lobby. She glanced over at Elena and eagerly waited for her to speak. But, when she saw that her best friend sat in her seat, silently. Bonnie spoke up first.

"So, how are things with Daniel?" She asked curiously.

Elena let out a huff as she locked her brown eyes with Bonnie's and then smiled sadly at her. "That's the whole reason I'm here. Bon, I left him. I...I just couldn't deal with the pressures of being someone's wife. I mean, girlfriend is fine. But, fiancé, wife...eventually a mother. It's scares the living shit out of me and to be honest...I couldn't picture a future with Daniel." Elena explained as she watched Bonnie's eyes widen.

Bonnie threw up her hand as she glanced at her. "Wait, What? He asked you to marry him!" She shrieked.

Elena's face turned red as she placed her finger to her own lips and tried her best to calm her best friend down. "Shhh. Yes. He asked me to marry him the other night and I literally bolted out of the house. To be perfectly clear, I've wanted to leave him for a while. Daniel and I just weren't working out and it had gotten to the point where it just wasn't what it used to be anymore. " Elena explained as she locked her eyes onto Bonnie's. Bonnie nodded in response as she exhaled deeply.

"So, have you figured out what you're going to do next?" Bonnie asked her, tilting her head to the side as she waited for a nervous Elena to respond.

"Well, I was...Hoping that I could stay here for a while. You know, just until I get my feet back onto the ground. I'll even pay for a room and everything. I promise, if you and Jer need extra help around this place. I can help out too." She told Bonnie truthfully, glancing at her for some sort of approval.

"I guess, you can stay. We do need someone to manage the phones and stuff like that, while I'm out running errands. I can even pay you for it." Bonnie explained as she smiled at Elena.

* * *

Two hours later and after two empty coffee cups in front of her, Elena got up from her seat on the couch as Bonnie handed her a key to her new temporary room. "Stay as long as you'd like. I'm going to go call your brother and tell him to get home." Bonnie said, smiling widely as she excused herself from the room.

Elena huffed out a breath as she pushed the front door open and nearly tripped over herself. But, was quickly caught by a pair of strong and muscular hands. "Whoa there! What did Bonnie do, spike your coffee?" Stefan said jokingly as he watched Elena push herself away from him.

"No. I tripped." She told him, embarrassment in her tone as she straightened out her cream colored jacket and then crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sure..oddly enough you "tripped" right into me." Stefan told her with a wink as he stepped closer and watched as Elena took a step back.

"Are you always an asshole or is this just when your around someone new?" She asked, irritation hitting every word that came out of her mouth.

Stefan laughed, throwing his head back for more of an emphasis as he glared at her. "You've got me all wrong."

"Oh do I? You almost caused an accident in the road and then you dented my damn car with your heavy ass fist! Oh and your...your..." Elena began to say but quickly realized she was out of words.

"Oh, I did that.. huh? It wasn't me sweetheart. You almost killed me with your American Idol wanna be audition in the car. What's wrong, cat got your tongue?" Stefan asked, raising his eyebrows at her as he watched her huff a breath out in frustration.

"You're not the only one whose become speechless in my presence. It's alright Elena, just admit it. I leave you breathless." He said with a smile as he heard her nearly growl at him.

"Wow that was hot!" Stefan remarked.

"Do you take anything in life seriously? Like I don't know, are you a civilized person or...were you-" Elena began to argue as Stefan tilted his head to the side, a smile creeping upon his lips.

"Was I...raised by wolves? Wow. If I was..Do you really think that I would have turned out this hot?" He said with another loud laugh as he turned his back away from a pissed off Elena. "See you around roomie!" He shouted over his shoulder as he walked away from her slowly.

"Wait! What about the dent on the roof of my car!" Elena shouted at him in frustration.

She watched as Stefan pivoted on his heels with a smile. "Come on, Princess. No one can see that. Get over it!" He said as he walked away from her, placing his hands in his pockets and whistling as he went.

"Ugh...This is going to be wonderful! The hot roommate from hell!" Elena grumbled as she walked over to her car and pulled her duffle bag from the back seat. She exhaled deeply as she watched from a distance. Stefan was talking to a much taller guy and then a petite and dark haired girl ran up behind him, slinging her long legs up and trying to get a piggy back ride from the taller guy as they all laughed at each other.

"Great, He has a possey!" She said out loud as she shut the door to her car and heard her name being shouted from behind her. Elena turned on her heels as her eyes lit up with excitement and pure happiness when she saw who was calling her name in a frantic tone.

"Jeremy!" She shrieked.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey Guys! So, here's CH.4! Thanks for all your reviews on this story and interest! The reason behind Stefan being so rude will be explained over time :) **

**Anyways, Enjoy & Thanks for reading! **

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Green_Eyes1989**

**-Until Next Time-**

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR-The Mysterious Ways Of Love **

Jeremy smiled widely as he watched Elena run towards him at full speed, barely stopping before she crashed into her brother and nearly sent them down to the graveled road that crunched under their feet. He wrapped his arms around her tightly as she giggled. "I've missed you so much!" She declared as she felt Jeremy laugh.

He stepped away from her for a moment and then smiled at her, taking in her tired eyes and dissolved hair. "How was the ride up here?" He asked, closing the car door behind him, shoving his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans.

"It was fine...Jer...Daniel and I broke up, like for good. He asked me to marry him and I said no. I mean, I..couldn't do it." Elena said, turning towards her brother as he stopped in his tracks, staring at her in shock. "What?"

"He just wasn't the one. I just...it never felt real with him. I did love him, though. I called Caroline, told her that I was coming up here and Tyler gave me the directions. I needed to get away. I don't want everyone to know that I left. I mean, by now they probably do because everything spreads like wildfire in that small damn town." Elena told him, placing her hands on her hips as she watched Jeremy walk beside her.

"I'm sorry, Elena. You know what, stay here for as long as you want. I just hope that they don't bother you too much..." Jeremy's voice trailed off as he looked over towards Stefan and Damon who were climbing a ladder and painting the addition that was being placed right beside Stella's Bed & Breakfast.

"They?" She asked in confusion.

"Umm...Yeah. The workers. They live here, behind the B&B actually in an set of apartments." Jeremy explained as he looked over at Elena.

"Oh my god!" She said under her breath as she heard Jeremy laugh and shake his head.

"What's wrong?" He asked with a laugh, still glancing out at the brothers.

"I almost killed one of your workers when I drove here! The light brown haired guy with green eyes..He's an asshole, Jer! He dented my car after his motorcycle almost went into a ditch. Is he always like that?" Elena asked, a sneer on her face as she too glanced towards the direction of where Stefan and Damon were placing new shingles on the roof.

"No. Elena, stay a while. Get to know him, maybe you'll like him. He's a nice guy, better than his brother." Jeremy told her as he watched her crinkle her nose in disgust. "Fine." She told him as they made their way back into Stella's and heard Bonnie calling for them to come inside before lunch got cold.

* * *

The next morning, Elena had gotten up before the sunrise as she stretched her legs outside on the porch, getting ready for her morning jog. Taking in the morning air as she bent over and inhaled deeply. She had been so lost in thoughts and hadn't noticed anyone behind her until she heard footsteps and a loud whistle.

"Nice view." Stefan said with a grin as he walked over to where she had been stretching.

"I was just getting ready for a run. What are you even doing here?" She asked, turning around and pressing her back against the white beam from the porch.

"Don't I have the right to get up in the morning too, enjoy the views and breath in this fresh mountain air." He said with a smirk, watching Elena shake her head and roll her eyes at him.

"Yeah, you do. But, not around me. I gotta to go." Elena said as she pushed off from the beams, quickly jumping over the steps as she placed her head phones in her ears, blasting her iPod as she took off running.

"Oh come on!" Stefan groaned as he took off after her, trying his best to keep up as he watched her turn a sharp left corner. "Damn it, she's fast!" He declared as he continued to follow her.

Elena hadn't heard that anyone was behind her as she ran past a few over grown areas in the forest filled landscape. She had been too busy focusing on her surroundings until she saw him from the corner of her eye. "Jesus! You took off like the freaking energizer bunny! What do you eat for breakfast?" He asked with a smile as she gave him a serious look. Stefan watched as Elena stopped, ripping her headphones out of her ears as she glared at him.

"What are you even doing following me. This is supposed to be my time to clear my head. Not fill it with your none sense." Elena complained as Stefan gave her a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning all of his weight on one foot.

"I guess I thought that we could start over. I'm sorry. I overheard Bonnie and your brother talking about how rude I was to you this morning when I walked in to return a pair of keys to Bonnie. Well, to be honest so were you. That motorcycle that you nearly killed me...It's very expensive." Stefan said, giving her a half hearted laugh as he watched her brown eyes soften at him.

"So is my car that you dented. It's a Mercedes. My fian-...My ex. Bought it for me." Elena told him, correcting herself quickly as she looked him over. Stefan looked out of breath and she tilted her head in confusion.

"Why are you so out of breath...you're a construction worker. I thought that you would be all fit and you know...able to handle a run." Elena said in a curious tone as she watched Stefan give her a small smile.

"I had some problems growing up, my lungs are a little weak, medical problems. So, I don't really run or jog. But, I can do everything else." He explained as he looked over at her.

Elena smiled at him and watched as Stefan laughed. "When you're not being bitchy, you're actually a really pretty girl. You know that?" He told her in a charming tone as he watched Elena blush a bit.

"umm..Thanks. But, that's still not going to make me like you more." She declared as she began to walk slowly with Stefan by her side.

"Okay, at least I can say that I've tried. Look, Elena..I don't know what your story is. But, you obviously came here to get away from whatever your running from. So, I won't be a jerk to you. I won't bug you unless you want me too. But, I do want to start over." Stefan told her truthfully, watching as her eyes grew wide.

"Seriously? You want to start over?" Elena asked him suspiciously. She heard him let out a laugh before she smiled at him again, not even really realizing that she was smiling until he returned her a flirty glance.

"Yes. Hi. I'm Stefan Salvatore. I work at your brother's Bed and Breakfast with my brother and his girlfriend, Katherine. She's a bitch and I would recommend not meeting her yet. But, I'm a recovering jackass...and you are?" He asked her, a silly grin forming on his lips as he extended his hand towards Elena and she shook it, playing along with the role playing game Stefan had started.

"Hi. I'm Elena Gilbert. I'm here because my boyfriend of nearly two years asked me to marry him and I don't do commitment very well. So, I took off. Both of my best friends live here, so being here is closer to home than anything. I'm a recovering rich princess, who got spoiled by her wealthy boyfriend a ton, So..it's a learning process." Elena told him with a bashful smile as Stefan laughed.

"It's nice to meet you, Elena. Oh and I can be your break up buddy, if you need one." He told her with a wink, still holding onto her hand and gazing into her brown eyes.

" It's nice to meet you too, Stefan. Ha, my break up buddy? Fine, deal. You can help me when I get to my stages of grief over my failed relationship with Daniel." She told him confidently. Elena watched as Stefan laughed and then he released her hand.

"So, what are we doing out here today?" He asked her, slowing down as she locked her eyes on him and then smiled. "We're clearing our heads and starting over."

"Aha. So, we're not running or jogging?" He asked in a playful tone.

"I thought that you said you had medic-" Elena began to say as watched Stefan pick up his steps, brushing past her as he ran down the trail. He turned towards her with a laugh as she shook her head and shouted at him. " I thought that you said you couldn't run!"

"I lied. I wanted your sympathy, and I got it...come on, I want to show you something!" He shouted back at her. Elena shook her head as she took off run, catching up to Stefan.

"You really are a jerk!" She declared as she swatted at his shoulder.

"Ouch! Ouch! Okay..Okay. I am. But, how else was I going to get you to warm up to me! The being a fragile guy, gained your trust." He said innocently as he smirked at her and with that, he took off down a trail as Elena trailed behind him shaking her head at his foolish words.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey Guys! So, Here's CH.5! Hope you all like it! :) Thanks for reading and Until Next Time!**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates: Green_Eyes1989**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE **

"Where the hell are we going?" Elena complained as she stepped into a muddy puddle of water, hearing Stefan let out a huffed out breath.

"Relax, princess. It's just a few more feet away from here." Stefan told her, turning around to look back at her. Elena's hair was thrown up into a sweaty and messy ponytail, her pink sweatshirt was tied around her waist and her once grey running shoes were covered in mud.

"Seriously, are we going on a treasure hunt..Why the hell are we going through these wooded parts anyways. All I see is wood and green..that's it." Elena told him, stopping in her tracks when she saw something slither past her, shrieking, at the same time.

"SNAKE!" She screamed, running past Stefan like a lightning bolt and nearly falling over into a wet and messy patch of shrubs.

"Snake...in the woods...are you sure?" Stefan said, trying his hardest not to laugh at the horrified expression on her face.

"Yes! It was black and red...it moved right past my feet!" She exclaimed as she continued to walk fast, glancing back at Stefan quickly.

"Aha, will you react like that too if you see a Lizard or something?" He asked her, placing his hands to his sides as smirked at her, shaking his head.

"No. Lizard's are cute." Elena told him with a smile, watching as he took a few steps closer towards her, his eyes locking on hers as he smiled widely. "No worries, we're almost to the place I want to show you...I have a feeling you'll love it." Stefan told her in a confident tone as he stepped over a fallen log and held out his hand to her, waiting for her to take it.

"I don't bite...I swear." He told her, still holding out his hand as she rolled her eyes.."Okay" Elena said, grabbing onto his hand and feeling as he wrapped his arm around her, helping her over the fallen tree in the middle of the pathway.

"See? Now, let's get a move on before it gets dark." He told her, quickly dropping her hand as Elena smiled. Stefan didn't seem half as bad as he did earlier and she was kind of liking the fact that without even knowing it, he had let his guard down in front of her a bit.

* * *

She gasped when she saw the waterfall in front of her and a few benches that were down below over a small hill. "Wow, so you come all the way out here to ignore everybody..hmm..doesn't seem that horrible after all." She said, smiling at him as he smiled back and nodded.

"Yeah, I've worked for Bonnie and your brother for a while now and I come out here to think, about everything." He told her, sorrow in his voice as he said the last few words.

"So, what made you take the construction job at the Bed and Breakfast?" Elena asked him, stepping down a steep slope slowly as Stefan followed closely behind her. She wanted to get a better view of the water and to sit down on one of the benches.

"Well, I needed a job and it was a good place to escape to. The country side of New York is actually better then the busy streets of Manhattan...Where I'm originally from." He told her with a slightly smile, grabbing her hand as she nearly slipped and then when she finally made it on flat ground she exhaled. "Thanks.." She mumbled as she tucked her hand back into her sweatshirt and continued to listen to Stefan talk. .

"I graduated college and I had no idea what I wanted to do. Also, my parents were expecting me to marry my high school sweetheart. But, instead..I dumped her and followed my brother Damon and his girlfriend of four years outside of the city. We took odd jobs here and there and then we came across this place. Jeremy and Bonnie have been way to kind to let us stay here." He told Elena in a sincere tone as she smiled again, moving a strand of her hair out of her face as she locked her eyes with his.

"So, you got away from your rich parents. Well, I can kind of relate to that..except my parents disowned me and I left my wealthy fiancé who wanted to marry me, make me his trophy wife...So, I guess you and I have something in common..." Her voice trailed off, watching as Stefan laughed.

"Yeah, we do. So, how did the rich ex-fiancé take it when you left?" Stefan asked her, sitting down beside her on a bench, feeling the mist of the water blowing on them as she shifted her weight and laughed.

"Well, he took is so well that I ended up here, unannounced really. I..just felt like he and I weren't..passionate, that I could find someone that I actually felt comfortable around. I'm totally not a ball gown, 450 people event type of girl." Elena told him.

"Oh, I would love to have seen you in a ball gown...You must of been the prettiest girl in the room." He told her, laughing as he looked back at the water, watching as it fell over a bunch of rocks.

"You know, He never even once told me that I was beautiful..I mean, yes. In front of his parents and friends. But, whenever it was just the two of us..It was always 'Oh, Elena..you look nice today.'..." Elena's voice trailed off, watching as Stefan cleared his throat as his lips turned into a frown.

"You're kidding right? He never said you that you were beautiful...was he blind?" Stefan asked, laughing as he watched Elena rest her hand between them.

Stefan smiled to himself, grabbing her hand and bringing it to his lips. Watching as Elena's eyes grew. He laughed harder as he kissed the top of her hand and then she felt him smile against her skin. "You're beautiful and no one should ever tell you differently." Stefan told her in a serious tone, letting go of her hand as Elena smiled.

"Is that your lame excuse for trying to flirt with me again? because it if was that's a pretty sick joke." Elena told him, watching as Stefan placed his hand onto his chest, right where his heart was.

"Wow, I guess you and I really need to start over. Yes, I'm a flirt..But, when I tell a woman that she's beautiful and I even kiss her hand...it comes from me not being a jackass. Now, let's go before it gets dark." He told her, holding out his hand to help her off the bench as Elena shook her head, not saying a word as Stefan gave her a heartfelt smile.

* * *

He had left Elena back at her room, watching as Bonnie eyed both of them suspiciously. Stefan slowly made his way back to the apartment and unlocked the door, stepping in quietly as he heard Damon and Katherine laughing and the start arguing over something.

"Oh Thank God your back! Where the hell have you been?" Damon asked walking out of his bedroom, noticing the smile that Stefan couldn't seem to wipe off of his face as he locked the door behind him.

"I was out. That's all you need to know." He told his brother in a harsh tone, walking past him and into the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle from the countertop and almost spitting out his water when he watched as Katherine sauntered into the small living room in nothing but her purple bra and panties, her long brown and auburn colored hair dripping wet as she dried it with a towel.

"Damon, when are you coming back to help me shampoo my hair? I was having fun..." She told him, watching as Stefan cleaned the water that he had spilled on himself. Katherine smiled a devious smile and walked over to him.

"You know Damon..If you don't come back in ten minutes...Stefan over here will do just fine..I've heard he's really good with his hands." She said with a wink, rubbing her hand against the middle of Stefan's exposed stomach. Katherine watched as Damon rolled his eyes at her.

"Ha, You wish Katherine...But, it looks like my little brother and the days when you two were an item are over. You were his rebound girl after he broke up with his old girlfriend...He's moved on with that Gilbert girl...isn't that right..Stef?" Damon asked, smirking as he watched Katherine scuff and roll her eyes back in his direction.

"No, Damon. I'm getting to know her and...Katherine.." He began to say, turning towards Katherine as he watched her eyes light up.

"I'm sure you can shampoo your own damn hair!" He told her, listening as she groaned as Damon laughed, hearing his brother yelp from the punch he got in the gut from Katherine.

"Don't wait up. I'm going out. Thanks for making me realize something Damon." Stefan told him, throwing on his jacket as he opened the door, turning to look over at both Katherine and Damon.

"Me? What's that exactly..What could I have possibly made you realize ?" Damon asked him, surprise in his tone as he watched Stefan laugh, shaking his head as he opened the front door to the apartment wider.

"That I have the chance to move on." Stefan told him before shutting the door behind him, leaving Katherine and Damon dumbfounded.

* * *

She had been talking with Bonnie for the past hour and part of her hadn't really realized about how hungry she was until Jeremy walked into the part of the building that had a sitting area with a warm fireplace, where the girls were sitting.

"Right on time! I'm starved!" Elena began to say as they all turned, watching as the back door opened wide and Stefan looked up at them, smiling as he saw Elena shove a piece of an apple into her mouth.

"Umm..Sorry to interrupt, I was wondering if I could talk to Elena for a few minutes, alone." He told them, watching as Jeremy smiled and Bonnie laughed, giving Jeremy a knowing look as she followed him out of the room.

"So, I was wondering...I know you think I'm a total asshole. But, since we're starting over on the right foot and you seem really hungry...Do you want to go out to dinner with me? I know of this great little Italian restaurant a few miles from here..But, it's worth it." Stefan told her in a nervous tone, watching as Elena swallowed and then took a deep breath.

"You want to go out with me? Are you sure? I mean, first you call me beautiful and now you're asking me out...are you seriously real?" Elena said with a laugh.

Stefan's smile disappeared and he nodded. "Yeah, well...I'm being a nice guy for a change and I want to see how far that gets me." He told her, smiling as he watched her eyes widen.

"Oh if your thinking that I'm just going to hop into bed with you because you bought me dinner..you're screwed buddy!" Elena exclaimed, starting to get up from the couch as Stefan's hand grabbed her wrist gently.

"I didn't mean it like that...But, I would like to buy you dinner." He told her, tilting his head to the side and giving her a bashful smile.

"Fine..Let me get my car keys and we can go." She told him, starting to grab her purse off the coffee table as Stefan laughed.

"You don't need your keys..I'm driving." He told her with a smirk, getting up and zipping up his jacket.

"But, the only thing that you own is a motorcycle..." She commented, nervousness in her voice as she locked her eyes on Stefan's intense green gaze. "Exactly...way faster than a car." He told her, grabbing her hand into his and pulling her out of the room before she could protest.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey all! Here's CH.6! Hope you guys like it! By The Way, this is kind of a filler chapter. More will be discussed about Stefan's history and past in my next chapter. :)  
**

**Follow me on Twitter at: Green_Eyes1989 for updates! **

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Until Next Time-**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX-The Mysterious Ways Of Love- **

She wanted to protest, to shout at him. Was he insane to have her on the back of his motorcycle? Or was she even more insane if she decided to go. The question loomed in her mind as she watched him hand her a helmet.

"Oh, come on. Don't give me that look. All you have to do is hold on tight…you know and try not to scream!" Stefan said, smirking at her as Elena laughed.

"That's fine. But, that. Seriously?" She said, sighing at him and holding the helmet in her hands as he rolled his green eyes at her.

"Well, I'd rather have you safe then that beautiful head of your splattering across the pavement if something happened." He told her, sitting on the motorcycle as she let out a loud breath.

"Oh come on! Stop being such a rich princess…are you worried your hair will get ruined or something?" Stefan asked a laugh in his tone as he started the bike and looked over at her, patting the seat behind him as she gave him an annoyed look.

" No! But, what if it rains and we get wet?" She asked, her hands on her hips as she looked over at him. There was something about the red and black Yamaha sports motorcycle that he was sitting on, the way the helmet fit him, almost hiding his face that made her heart jump into her stomach. He was hot; there was no doubt about that! But, it was something else. Stefan was different then Daniel, her ex-fiancé and she could tell…being around him would change her…for better or for worse.

* * *

Loose strands of her hair blew in the wind as the rain began to mist around them, it was starting to get dark and Elena rested her arms around his waist, pulling herself closer to him as Stefan rounded a corner and she could feel their bodies moving in the same direction. She could feel him exhale as he sped up and she closed her eyes, leaning her head against his back as they passed by a few shopping outlets and then before she knew it, they came to an abrupt halt.

"You okay back there?" Stefan shouted over the roaring sound of the bike. He couldn't hear her reply. But, when he felt her arms tighten around him and felt her body closer to him, he smiled widely…she had no idea how much he was enjoying this.

"We'll be there soon. But, make sure to hold on tight." He commented as he could barely hear her, but he could tell that she asked "why?!"

Stefan laughed as he revved the engine and they went flying; Elena nearly digging her nails into his skin as she could feel the speed pick up and she laughed. Part of her was terrified of the speed that he was going at, but a small part of her felt safe with him, oddly enough.

So as they finally turned into the restaurant and Stefan turned the motorcycle off. Elena almost forgot to let go of him, laughing as he turned to the side, trying to talk to her.

"Elena, you need to let go of me now…" He said, a laugh in his voice as he felt the instant coolness of her disappearing touch.

"Oh, right. Sorry!" She said, getting off the bike first and then pulling off the helmet as she watched Stefan mirror her actions.

"Where you trying to kill us!" She shouted, watching as Stefan took a step back from her, surprised at her words.

"Excuse me?" Stefan asked her, a laugh in his voice as he looked at her. Elena's hair was sticking every which way and it was hard to focus on face from the stray hairs that were flying in the wind.

"The speed back there. You said you wouldn't go that fast!" Elena said in whining tone.

"Oh that was nothing..I like going a lot faster than that." He said, winking at her as she rolled her eyes at him. Pushing on his shoulder as Stefan gave her a pleased look.

"I'm sorry, I guess I just liked feeling you behind me." Stefan told her, his eyes glistening with desire and lust as he licked his lips and stepped closer towards her.

Elena swallowed hard as she shook her head. "You're disgusting! And there is no way in hell that I would ever sleep with you! Why is everything sexual with you..I mean, not every woman has fallen for your charm or whatever this is! I'm sure of it!" Elena said, glaring at him as he let out a laugh.

"Oh honey, that's what they always say and ask..But, once you got a piece of me...you'd be totally wanting more..just one night, I could change your mind." Stefan commented, raising his eyebrows at her as Elena glared at him.

"You're such a pig! Ugh, let's just go eat..before I lose my appetite at the thought of even being in the same room as you." Elena told him, brushing passed him as she felt Stefan's cool hand on her wrist, pulling her towards him. Chest to chest as he smiled at her, leaning towards her as she smiled back. Even if she didn't want to smile at him, just looking at him now, forced her too.

"Just. One. Night." He said, inching closer and closer to her lips as Elena froze, her heart picking up speed as she felt him against her. What was it about this guy! He was hot and totally different, but he went from being such a nice guy to a total jerk in 60 seconds tops!

" Oh honey, Not in your lifetime!" Elena said, leaning against him, just an inch closer and they're lips would have been nearly touching.

Stefan licked his lips as he stared at her, eye level. He could see it, she was scared but she was also hesitant. As much as she was acting like she wasn't interesting. Her dark brown eyes, were clearly lying..Elena wanted him as much as he wanted her, maybe even more.

"Fine. Suit yourself. But, don't tell me I never offered." He told her, brushing a strand of her hair out of the of her face as she looked at him. Elena was trying her best to show that he wasn't affecting her, that his looks and his charms weren't working. But, it all clearly was and the fact that her heart was racing a mile a minute as Stefan's words... _But, once you got a piece of me...you'd be totally wanting more..just one night, I could change your mind. _Was a big indicator, he was getting under her skin...and she secretively wanted more.

"Ha, I'm not that type of girl..I don't just jump into bed with strangers." She countered watching as Stefan turned his back towards her, turning towards the restaurant and then when he heard what she said, he smiled a flirtatious smile.

"Really? But I'm not really a stranger anymore, Elena." Stefan told her, hearing as she scuffed at his words.

"Fine, look. Let's make a deal. How about after this dinner tonight, you don't need to go out with me anymore. But, if I actually act like a nice guy and you get to know me better. We'll go out more and then I won't have to proposition you to sleep with me...because you'll just want too." Stefan told her with a smirk as she rolled her eyes, pushing past him again as she opened the door to the restaurant and glared at him.

"No Thanks. But, let's see if I actually like you after tonight..I like that idea better. Maybe after dessert you'll turn into less of an ass! But, let's get one thing clear..I'm still not going to be sleeping with you." She said, opening the door to the restaurant as she heard Stefan sigh.

"You say that now, But...we'll see about that after a few drinks." Stefan said, hearing her give him a sarcastic laugh as he followed her inside.

"Oh, I highly doubt that. Keeping dreaming buddy!" Elena said, feeling his hand slip to the small of her back as she nearly froze, her hand on the second door that led into the restaurant as he smiled, leaning his head down to her ear.

Elena exhaled deeply, trying hard to calm her beating heart as she felt him speak against her skin, his smooth words and his voice sending shock waves through her entire body as she stood there, holding the door handle, seeing Stefan's reflection in the glass as he left a small kiss on the side of her neck and then he went back up to her ear.

His voice was soft and rough as he spoke and she immediately registered his words as she took a quick intake of a staggered breath. "Maybe we won't even have to wait for drinks or dessert..Because, I can tell, you want me...way more than your leading on. You know, I've heard that the bathrooms are kind of nice..I'm I could show you a good time in there."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey Guys! So, Here's CH.7. We get to learn why Stefan is the way he is in this story,finally! :) **

**Hope you like it. Enjoy!**

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN-The Mysterious Ways Of Love- **

They didn't have to wait long for their menus to arrive. As Elena looked up at him, trying to ignore the fact that it felt his eyes glued on her, his legs rubbing against hers every five minutes as she swallowed hard.

"Will you stop that!" She hissed, glancing up at him over her menu as he let out an innocent laugh, giving her a childish smile as she locked her eyes on him.

"Stop...What, exactly?" He asked, playing if off as if he wasn't rubbing up against her legs, sending her emotions into a tail spin and her mind into the worst possible territory...ever!

Elena had promised herself, no dating. no dating...not after what Daniel had done. Now, she was making sure she kept her guard up. Kept herself protected from loving someone, anyone really. But, there was Stefan, sneaking up on her and making her feel stuff, lust...desire...passion...need...want...all over again.

She was in a daze as she watched the waiter come up to them and they both ordered quickly. Stefan smiled at her as he brushed his hand up against hers and once again she took a deep breath, trying hard to not show a reaction.

Instead, Elena cleared her throat and gazed up at him, questions swirling in her mind as he smirked at her. "So, Stefan...you know a few things about me and here I am...knowing barely anything about you." She commented, taking a sip of her ice water as she watched him nervously straighten himself up in the booth and then he sighed, placing his hands onto the table.

"Where do I begin?" He asked calmly, popping his neck from side to side as Elena could tell that she had just hit a nerve, a tough subject.

"You don't need to tell me everything. But, knowing why you go from a jerk one minute and then back to this nice guy act..it's confusing me to be honest. I like spending time with you. But, I barely know, I barely know anything about you...I guess I just want to know more..whatever your willing to give." Elena said, watching as he let out a nervous laugh, running his hands through his hair as he locked his eyes on her and then he began to speak.

"First there was Katherine...I loved her first in high school, when we were kids too. But, then she cheated on me with Damon. I found them in the house, alone in bed together. So, after that happened, I took off for a while. Living with my parents, starting school at NYU. I was an honor student in college, played soccer and that's when I met her, Rebekah Mikealson. The one woman who changed my life." Stefan told Elena, clasping his hands together as he stared down at them, hearing Elena speak with a steady and interested tone.

"Stefan, I'm sorry to hear that. That must of been horrible. So, how did Rebekah make things better?" Elena asked, listening to him intently as he smiled at her.

"She showed me that loving again was okay. But, just like all the other women that I had been with. Rebekah had plans of her own. She had used me, just like Katherine did..for her own gain. We had been dating for four years, all throughout college and the night of our graduation party. I found her, hooking up with another guy behind my back. A good friend of mine. She had no idea that I was going to ask her to be my wife that night, I even had the ring in my pocket...all night long." Stefan told her, exhaling deeply as he took a shaky breath.

The memory of Rebekah and his friend was enough to send him over the edge. He had decided that he was done being the nice guy, having his heart broken more than once by two women that he actually thought, loved him had been enough to change him...forever.

"So, instead of trying to explain to my parents that I didn't want to marry her, that her and I, just weren't working..I left Manhattan and meet up with Damon and Katherine, of all people." Stefan told her, watching as Elena gave him a weak smile. She knew the feeling, the one where you think you love someone and then you realize that while you were with them, it was just a blinded love.

* * *

Four hours had gone by as they sat and talked, learning more about each other than they had in the last few days that Elena had been there. She stared at him for a long time, watching as he placed his credit card into the bill holder, breathing heavily as he smiled up at her, placing the holder back onto the table.

"So, did I change your mind yet?" He said, a laugh in his voice as he watched her nod.

Stefan really wasn't that bad when he wasn't keeping his heart guarded, keeping himself protected from everyone and everything around him. But, for the first time in months, he had opened up to someone, someone who wasn't Rebekah or Katherine.

"So, you worked for Daniel's company?" Stefan asked trying to change the subject. Watching as Elena dug into her cheesecake, placing a piece in her mouth and chewing it slowly as she looked up at him, their eyes locking on each other's for a brief moment.

My god, he was handsome. His green eyes, telling and both mysterious. The seriousness made sense now, when he was deep in thought he was most likely thinking about his painful past, his parents that had told him that he should have loved Rebekah more, then maybe..just by some hope, she would have stayed by his side.

"Yeah, I was. It was a small family business that started out with his great grandparents and then he began to slowly take over. But, since he and I called it quits. I'm sure that he and Anna are probably planning a way to collect the money from his parents without having to be married." Elena told him sighing and shaking her head at the thought.

"Anna? Who's Anna?" Stefan asked, placing his beer on the table as he heard Elena laugh.

"Oh, I thought I told you about Anna! Ha, she was my roommate in college that Daniel had slept with...a few times, actually! He told me it the day I gave him back the expensive ring that he had bought..." Elena told him, her voice trailing off as she felt his warm touch on her skin, bringing her out of her trance that she had on the thoughts of her ex-fiancé.

" I can relate. Elena, I'm sorry if I'm just a total jerk sometimes. I...Well-" Stefan began to say watching as she gave him a weak smile and nodded.

"You're keeping yourself guarded. I know, Believe me...I know. You don't want to be hurt like that again." She replied, pushing her hand away from his as he smiled at her.

This girl, sitting across from him was worth knowing, he could feel it deep down in his stomach. Now, if he could only cut the bullshit and actually be nice and respectful for once without turning into this guarded jerk who had built walls up against himself, as tall as the wall of china.

"I was thinking, I know that you came out here to get away from it all, kind of like I did. Um, do you want to go dancing with me at this club. It's pretty popular with the locals and on late nights it can be pretty fun." Stefan asked her, watching as she gave him a shy smile, brushing her hair out of her face nervously as she locked her eyes with his.

"You promise not be a jackass for the rest of the night and not try to kiss me again or make a move?" Elena commented, giving him a stern look with her brown eyes as she heard him laugh.

"One out of three. It'd be a crime not to make a move on you at a club...if we're being honest." He told her with a wink as he watched her cheeks blush. Yes, getting to know her would be more fun for Stefan, than he realized. But, it would also be one of the biggest challenges of his life, because if he was going to be around her, he had to behave himself and being that she was a temptation. Behaving appropriately would be very difficult to do.

* * *

The club was dark and noisy as they walked into it, the music blaring as Elena watched couples grind their bodies against each other. Some of them looking as if they were making love on the dance floor, with all their clothing still intact.

She gasped as she felt him pulled her hand, her body crashing against his as he firmly placed his hands on her hips. Stefan moved them with the music, a mixture of loud Cuban music that sounded romantic and yet hypnotic all at the same time. Elena felt her body being swayed and moved, her mind getting lost in the beat and the fact that his hands were pressed roughly against her exposed tan skin arms and hips.

"What is this place?" She asked, feeling his hands under her shirt as she titled her head back onto his shoulder and tried to lock her eyes on him. There was something about Stefan, in the moment when the flashing lights in the club hit his face that made her want him, hunger for his touch on her skin. But, she quickly shook it off, swallowing hard as he leaned into her and whispered into her ear.

"It's a Cuban night club. Please, tell me you've seen dirty dancing before?" He asked with a chuckle, listening as she exhaled, her arms slowly lifting up to touch his face as he stepped behind her, grabbing her roughly, his hands tracing the fabric of her shirt as she gritted her teeth and groaned.

"What? Does that bug you.. My hands on your body, my touch on your skin?"Stefan asked in seductive tone as she let out a laugh again, trying to turn around in his arms as she felt his hand slide underneath the thin fabric of her shirt, grazing against her stomach lightly.

"I...I..." Elena began to say, struggling to finish her thought as she grabbed his hands in one quick motion and turned her body around, facing him. Stefan gave her a pleased look as he brushed a strand of her hair out of her eyes and she moved closer to him, their bodies chest to chest as she felt him exhale, his breath catching in his throat.

"I told myself I wouldn't do this, that I wouldn't..." Elena began to say, leaning into him as he smiled at her, meeting her halfway as Stefan placed his hand in the middle of her back, their bodies still swaying with the music as he pushed her closer towards her.

"That you wouldn't do what?" He asked, his green intense eyes locking on hers, staring at her eyes for a moment and then down to her soft and pink lips.

"Give in to my temptations..." Elena began to say, feeling as Stefan's hand still lay on her back. She leaned in more and then before she knew it, she could feel herself getting lost in him, the taste of his lips against hers, their tongues moving with their bodies, slowly. Elena breathed in and all she could feel was his hands in her hair, his body against hers and the smell of alcohol and the feeling of sex all around them on the dance floor.

* * *

**A/N: Hey All! Hopefully this update wasn't too smut filled. I apologize if it was...sometimes my creative mind runs away with me! :) **

**Thanks for reading & Until Next Time!**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates or if you just want to chat about TVD: Green_Eyes1989**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey All! Here's CH.8. Enjoy! :) **

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT-The Mysterious Ways Of Love **

The music continued to blare as she got lost into him. Stefan ran his hands through her hair, all the way down to her butt as Elena moved closer, nearly molding herself into him. They're movements matching each others as he swayed her hips back and forth with the music and the touch of his hands on her body.

She inhaled deeply as the smell of sweat and pure pleasure filled her senses, she felt alive in his arms, for the first time in years. She felt him run his arm up and down her body, closing her eyes as she turned her back towards him, grinding against him as Stefan held her closer.

"How about we get out of here...off the dance floor before I do something that would be completely frowned upon." Stefan told her, whispering it against her ear lobe as he felt Elena's arms touch his face, her finger tips grazing against his jaw line, feeling his chest exhale deeply.

"What would that be...what would be so bad for you to do to me on the dance floor?" Elena asked in a teasing tone, smiling from ear to ear as she leaned her head back against his shoulder, whispering right into his ear, slowly emphasizing her words.

"If we weren't in public, I'd be taking your clothes off, piece by piece..But first, I want to make sure you're feeling the music, that's what this is all about, feeling. Touch. Skin on skin. Contact. Pleasure." He whispered, kissing her neck as he bent down and wrapped his arms around her hips, moving them with the upbeat music that was playing in the background.

"I swear, if we don't get out of here soon, I'm going to do something really stupid...Elena, you're.." Stefan's voice trailed off, the words getting stuck in his throat.

"What am I doing..hmm..You said it yourself...'Feel the music'." Elena told him, turning to face him with a smirk as she placed one hand on his shoulder, gliding her body down his as he licked his lips.

She was killing him with her touch, with the way she moved her body and she could tell that it was affecting him. Stefan was gripping her closer, his hands on her backside as the music started to slow, his eyes locked on hers, their lips moving closer.

Then he felt her arms wrap around him, she leaned into him, locking his eyes on her eyes as he dipped her, kissing her lips roughly as he brought her back up, spinning her as she once again crashed against him, a smirk on his face as he moved a piece of her matted and wet hair from her forehead, grabbing her by the hips and slowly moving his hands down her legs.

* * *

Nearly out of breath, Stefan followed her outside as he smiled at her, watching as Elena caught her breath. "Where did you learn to dance like that...what was that?" She asked, a glistening in her eyes as she turned towards him.

"It was just dancing, Elena." Stefan told her, smiling with a grin as she scuffed at him.

"We were practically having sex on that dance floor, that was not just dancing. What do you want, Stefan. First you ask me out to dinner and then you dance with me like that. Please, tell me you haven't done this with all of them...charmed them like you just did me...because I-" Elena began to say, watching as Stefan stepped closer, rolling up the sleeves of his jacket as he frowned at her.

"Because you what?" He asked, eyebrows furrowed, head tilted to the side as he smirked at her.

"When I'm around you, lately...I'm feeling things that I shouldn't..I shouldn't have kissed you because I...it makes me..." Elena said, nervously intertwining her fingers in front of her as she watched him step in front of her, inches away from her face.

Elena could feel his breath against her face, his intense and seductive gaze upon her as she swallowed hard. "It makes you...what exactly?" He asked, eyes locked on her lips as he watched them tremble from his words.

Elena exhaled deeply, trying to calm her shaking hands, her speeding heart and the fact that if she were to speak in the moment, just inches away from his lips, that she wouldn't be doing any speaking at all.

"Come on, Elena...you can tell me. I won't be a jerk about it." Stefan told her, laughing into the cold dark night, taking a step back from her.

"It's nothing." She commented, pausing as she looked up at him and then back down to her feet.

"Nothing, huh? It doesn't seem like nothing...you're feeling things for me and it makes you scared...hell, maybe you even want me more than your trying to admit." Stefan told her, taking a step forward.

"No." Elena retorted, trying to stand her ground, but he could tell by the weakness in her voice that she was failing, she was giving in and he had found a weak spot.

"No? Ha, So...that make out session back there that you started... that was, um...in the heat of the moment or was it just because we were around all of those people and...you just caught up into it." Stefan asked, placing his hands on his hips as he watched her step forward, nearly staring him down.

"It was...I'll admit it. You're a nice guy. Okay, but I'm not that easy to win over. So, bringing me here, dancing with me and all that...I know your type, Stefan. Your just like him. Even if you don't want to show it, you'd do what he did..over time." Elena told him, taking a step back, turning around towards the parked cars in the parking lot.

"Excuse me? Just like...Oh! You think that I'm just like Daniel! Jesus, Elena! Can't you trust me a bit more to think for one second that maybe..just maybe I like you enough not to rip your heart out like he did. You're a nice girl and your beautiful! I maybe an asshole. But, the difference between me and him is that given the chance, if you let me get to know you and if we spend some more time together. I can prove it, I would never do that to you." Stefan told her, seriousness in his tone as he looked up at her.

"I can't start anything with you..I mean, even if I wanted too. I just...I'm-" Elena began to say as she heard Stefan cut her off.

"I know. You still love him. But, I'm willing to wait...I can even teach you how to salsa dance properly. It can be a very sexy dance if you know what you're doing. So, while we dance, I'll wait to win you over. I'm a patience man, by the way." He told her with a smile, watching as she looked away from him and then secured her eyes on him.

" Do we have a deal?" Stefan told her, stepping in front of her as he cupped Elena's face with his hands, watching her eyes brighten at his smile that spread across his face.

"So, If I agree to this. Let me get this straight...you're willing to wait it out until I find myself getting over Daniel and falling for you. But, what's in it for you, exactly?" Elena asked him, placing her own hands on Stefan's as he stepped closer towards her, his eyes on her lips.

"That's a simple question that only requires less than five words...You're heart." He replied, leaning into her and leaving a soft kiss on her lips before she broke away from him and smiled. Maybe spending some more time with him wouldn't be a bad thing after all. She thought to herself as she opened her eyes and looked up to see his intense green gaze upon her as she whispered against his lips before backing away from him. "Deal."

"Let's go." Elena whispered as she unraveled her arms around him, taking his hand into hers as they walked back towards the motorcycle and headed back towards Stella's B&B.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you all liked it!**

**Thanks for reading and for the reviews! **

**Follow me on Twitter at: Green_Eyes1989**

**-Until Next Time- **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey All! Hope you like this update! Enjoy! Please let me know what you think. :)**

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE-The Mysterious Ways of Love- **

"So all you're saying is that you both danced and had dinner, that was it. Ha, Elena...does this guy know that you suck at dancing?" Jeremy asked her, flipping pancakes in the kitchen as he watched Elena go the fridge and grab a carton of orange juice.

She hadn't slept at all last night, partly because she was dreaming about him. His words, the way his hands fit around her body, felt on her skin and his smiling face with those irresistible green lust filled eyes. But, this morning Elena had woken up in a hurry as she heard clattering and a few curse words escape from her brother's lips in the kitchen downstairs.

"Jer. Seriously...we just talked and danced. Stefan even offered to teach me to dance." Elena told him, watching as her brother spit out the milk in his mouth, hearing is splatter and fly all over the oven and the spatula that was in his hands.

"What's so funny?" She asked him, confusion in her tone as she glanced over at him.

"Stefan Salvatore didn't specifically mention why he wants to teach you to dance...did he at all?" Jeremy asked her, placing a cooked and golden brown pancake on the plate next to him as she shook her head.

"No. He just said that he...is something going on that I don't know about?" Elena asked Jeremy, tilting her head to the side and leaning against the counter that was next to Jeremy as he cooked them breakfast.

"Oh, Elena! I thought you knew. That Bonnie would have told you. by now at least. I mean, it's already been almost a few weeks how you've been here!" He told her, a smile creeping onto his face as he locked his eyes on his sister.

"Told me what? Is he a closet dancer or something...uhh...does he do ballet?" She asked jokingly as she felt Jeremy smack her shoulder.

"Ouch!" Elena cried. "What was that for?" She asked in an innocent tone.

"No, Stefan doesn't do ballet! He took some street dancing classes and he teaches the kids here in town on weekends...sometimes." Jeremy explained as he heard Elena let out a laugh, taking a sip of her orange juice as she glanced over at her brother.

"Yeah, so..what does that have to do with me?" She asked him, curiosity in her tone.

"Well, we have dancing competitions and if the best dancing couple wins. Then, they get money in return. It's like this club thing, I guess. But anyways, Katherine used to be his dancing partner until Damon told him that he didn't want them dancing together anymore. You know, there past and dancing just doesn't really mesh well." He told her watching as Elena's eyes grew big and she gave Jeremy a knowing look.

"So, Oh my god! I'll be right back! He used me! Damn it!" Elena groaned as she gave Jeremy a glance and disappeared down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Jeremy asked her, throwing another pancake as he heard the door slam.

"Hmm..someone's moody this morning." He mumbled to himself as he continued to cook breakfast.

* * *

Elena had jogged out to the apartment that was behind the B&B. She was furious with herself for falling for his charm, his motives and the idea of actually thinking that he wouldn't lie to her about something so silly as being his 'replacement Katherine' dance partner.

She quickly straightened herself out and knocked on the front entrance door rapidly until her knuckles started to hurt. She took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest, when she was met with a brunette with brown curly hair and the same brown eyes that matched Elena's.

"Oh, look who's finally come to join us for breakfast. How cute!" Katherine told her, staring her down as she opened the door wider.

"Katherine, is it? Ha, wow you all live here..I seem to be forgetting that a lot lately. Uh, is Stefan home?" Elena asked her, stepping back as she watched Katherine roll her eyes and let out a laugh.

"What's wrong, lover's quarrel already?" She asked in a sarcastic tone as Elena matched it.

"Ha. You wish. No, actually..I was just hoping to speak with him. In private." Elena told her, trying desperately to ignore the glare that was radiating off of Katherine.

"What you jealous?" Elena commented, smiling from ear to ear when she saw Stefan coming up from behind a suddenly less snarky Katherine.

"Katherine..Oh, Elena! Hi." Stefan said, nearly pushing Katherine out of the way as she huffed out a breathe in disgust.

"Hey, Kat. Tell Damon I'll be back soon." He told her over his shoulder, as he gestured for Elena to walk with him and they both stepped outside.

* * *

They had walked down to the water's edge by a small pond that was behind all the buildings. Two different benches placed strategically across from each other as Stefan sat down on one and sighed a heavy breath.

"Sorry about that, Katherine can be a real-" Stefan began to say as he sat down and watched as Elena took a seat across to him.

"A real bitch..right?" Elena replied, a laugh escaping her throat as Stefan laughed too.

"Yes! A real bitch. Honestly, I have no idea why I was so in love with her when we were kids and in high school too. Now, looking back on it..I must have been blinded by her." Stefan confessed as he watched Elena lean herself back against the bench, placing her hands on each side of her as she sighed.

"So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" He asked her with a curious tone and a wide smile on his face.

"Well, I actually wanted to talk with you about the other night." She said, glancing down at her feet and then back up to his face.

"Oh, yeah..what about it?" Stefan asked with a playful tone, a smirk spreading across his lips.

"Why didn't you tell me that you're a dance coach to a bunch of little kids...that you've been in competitions with your dance partner Katherine and that you needed someone else to replace her with because Damon doesn't approve of the two of you dancing together anymore." Elena blurted out suddenly, a slight hint of anger hitting her tone. As Stefan locked his eyes on her and shock his head.

"Who did you hear all that from?" He asked in confusion.

"It doesn't really matter. All that matters is that you used me for your own gain. Just like Daniel did!" Elena said in an angry tone as she got up from bench and watched as Stefan stood up too.

"I should have known! Damn it, the dancing, the club...your words to me! You wanting to teach me how to dance! What? So that I can be her replacement..the girl that you used to love!" She bellowed, anger in her voice as she turned to leave.

"Elena, wait. Please, let me explain!" Stefan shouted, following quickly behind her, his hand outstretched to grab onto her wrist.

"No! I'm done talking to you. I don't want to be your replacement for your ex-girlfriend! It's disgusting, we look alike!" Elena shouted as she continued to storm off, hearing Stefan's steps getting closer behind her.

"It's not about that! I swear to you. It's not about her!" He yelled, finally catching up from behind her.

Stefan stood in front of her, watching as her brown eyes cut into him and he sighed deeply. "It's not about her! Okay..It's not!" He repeated again as he watched Elena cross her arms over each other and then she sighed in irritation, turning to look over at him.

"So, then what's this about? Why do you want me to dance with you so badly!" Elena asked him, tilting her head to the side as she watched Stefan take a few steps closer.

She could feel his breath on her skin, his eyes locking on hers as he pulled her towards him. Placing his hands on each side of her cold cheeks as he replied with a smile that lingered on his face.

"It's about you and me. This is about the connection we have, that I can't keep fighting anymore! I know I told you that I would try...last night, that I would wait it out and try to just be friends with you for a while. But, I can't stop thinking about you. Every time I close my eyes, you're all that I see!" Stefan exclaimed, leaning into her and kissing her lips softly as he felt Elena moan into his mouth, her hands running through his hair as he hoisted her legs up so that they were around his waist and moved them quickly into one of the buildings that he knew no one would bother them in.

* * *

**-Until Next Time!- :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey Readers! So, it's really late here as I'm posting this and I just wanted to say sorry in advance if this update is smutty..I was trying to not let my imagination run too wild! ;) **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**CHAPTER TEN-The Mysterious Ways Of Love **

She eagerly ran her hands underneath his shirt, leaving scratches on his skin as he laughed, unlocking the door in one quick motion. Stefan turned around, a mischievous smile on his face as he kissed her lips, feeling the tingling on his own when Elena pushed him back into the door and it swung open wider.

He could feel her warm hands underneath his shirt, her long bright red finger nails running up and down his toned muscles, as he grumbled at her under his breath.

"Elena, are you sure about this?" He asked, watching as that spark in her brown eyes suddenly vanished and she tried to pull his shirt over his head, but Stefan stopped her and watched when a lingering smile crept onto her lips.

"Stefan. I wouldn't be practically begging you to undress me if I didn't want this." She commented, running her hands around the edge of his belted pants.

Elena laughed as she tilted her head to the side and walked over to middle of the room. Running her finger tips over the seemingly stable pool table that was now covered with a few blankets. He cleared his throat as he fixed his shirt. Stefan watched with curiosity as he slowly walked over to where she was standing, walking behind her as he followed her movements of leaving small prints against the wood.

Her back was turned towards him. She seemed mesmerized by the patterns in one of the blankets that was laying on the pool table. Stefan watched for a minute as he came up behind her, slowly trailing his hands underneath her shirt as Elena arched her back to his touch.

"Do you play pool?" Stefan asked, leaning into her and pushing her long brown hair to the side so he could gain better access to her olive colored skin. He watched as Elena froze, not saying a word as she exhaled deeply.

"No..not really." Elena commented as she continued to run her hands against the dark cherry colored wood, not looking at him.

"Well, that's a shame. Because neither do I." Stefan told her, watching as Elena turned around quickly. Her voice caught in her throat and her vocal cords felt paralyzed as Stefan turned her around by her shoulders to face him.

She could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin, his hands starting to unclasp her bra. Elena held her breath as she felt Stefan kiss her neck, softly trailing his mouth against the curve of her now exposed collar bone.

Suddenly, She felt Stefan's hands slipping off her shirt, her skin exposed as she hoisted herself up onto the pool table. A silly smile playing on her lips as she leaned back onto her elbows and watched as Stefan licked his own chapped lips.

"You don't know how beautiful you are." He commented, taking his shirt off as Elena watched it hit against a recliner in the room.

Elena let out a laugh as she watched him smile at her. Her butt was pressed against the pool table, elbows holding her up and her legs were tightly fastened around Stefan's waist now as she gave him a nervous look.

"I could kiss you all day long, touch you..forever."He commented as he placed his palm against her stomach, feeling as small goose bumps appeared on her skin with every slow and pleasurable motion that he took.

"Touch me...how exactly?" Elena asked, playfully taking her hand and sliding it against his arm.

"Like this." He said, his voice rough and soft as he leaned into her, placing one of his hands behind her back and the other on the left side of her face, pulled her into him and kissing her lips forcefully, gently grazing his teeth against her bottom lip.

Stefan leaned Elena back gently as he heard her moan out a breath. She felt the knots in her stomach, her back arching even more when he stepped away and she could hear the unbuckling of his belt buckle.

"You're not stopping are you?" She asked him with a teasing tone, lifting up her head to glance over at him. Stefan laughed as he stepped back closer towards her, placing his hands on her legs and pulling her body into him.

"Not unless you want me too." He commented with a laugh, placing his hands on each side of her hips as he heard Elena let out a laugh and then she nodded at him.

"I hope you never stop." She told him, leaning into him and kissing his chest as she felt his hands go straight for her jeans, unbuttoning them in a calmed tone.

* * *

His ears were filled with the sound his name coming off of her lips as Stefan slowly sunk into her. Elena breathed heavily as she exhaled and gripped her hands against the blankets that were placed over the pool table.

"Please...Stefan..." Elena begged between breathes as she adjusted her weight and she could feel him move quicker, hands against her now half naked body. Hot and sporadic kisses left against her skin as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He watched her brown eyes grow wide with pleasure when he smiled and let out a small laugh.

"You're killing me with this teasing..." He told her, watching as Elena gave him a stern look, lifting her hand up to touch his lips as he spoke.

"Teasing huh...that's what were calling this? Ha, You've seen nothing yet..then." She told him, trying to concentrate on her breathing and the scent of him that she was immersing herself in. Elena felt Stefan smile against her skin, kissing her again and once more pushing into her, his name being spoken out into the air as she groaned in between breaths.

* * *

Breathless and feeling not in control, Elena felt her body being moved with him as he hoisted her up into his arms, kissing her lips hungrily and then she could feel the softness of what felt like a suede fabric against her back.

"The recliner?" She giggled as she felt her body being pushed into it. Stefan hovered over her, his toned abs, his naked body looking almost as if it was begged for her just to touch him. Stefan said nothing as he watched her glance up at him with an awestruck expression. Elena was leaning up to touch his skin, to feel him underneath her hands.

As he watched her frown a bit when he stepped back for a second in a playful manner. Stefan let out a laugh again. Grinning down at her as he licked his lips and leaned into Elena, just inches away from her face as he spoke to her in a soft and flirtatious tone. " I figured that it was better and softer than the pool table over there. I would hate to give you bruises on that beautiful body. But, if you want.. we can do that again..soon. Now, where were we?"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry that it's so short! Longer updates will happen again soon!**

**Hope you all liked it and feel free to leave me a comment on it! :)**

**Thanks for reading and follow me on twitter for updates: Green_Eyes1989 **

**-Until Next Time-**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey Readers! Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews. They really are motivation to keep going with this story! **

**I guess this is sort of a filler Chapter! The more interesting stuff will be happening soon! :)**

**Anyways, Hope you Enjoy this update and Please let me know what you think. **

* * *

**CHAPTER ELEVEN-The Mysterious Ways Of Love **

Elena slipped off of his lap and slowly tip toed off towards the pool table, where most of their clothing had been discarded. She smiled to herself as she lifted up Stefan's t-shirt and brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply at the scent of him. Mint aftershave on his shirt, a mixture of some random spice that she couldn't seem to place and soap.

"Hey you! Are you trying to make sure that I don't smell?" Stefan asked her in a joking manner, getting up off of the seat that he had occupied on the recliner. Elena laughed as she turned away from him slightly and blushed.

"No, I'm just...I...Ah, to hell with it. Yes! I'm trying to memorize the smell of you so that when I'm alone tonight. I don't have to miss you when you're not around." Elena explained in a nervous tone as she placed the shirt back down and went to grab her tank top off of the pool table.

She first heard Stefan laugh and then he gently grabbed her wrist, pulling her body towards his just a bit as he spoke. "How about just keep it and then you won't have to miss me. Or better yet, I can just sleep next to you tonight." He told her, with that same lust filled expression that he had on his face when they had stepped foot into the building.

"Stefan, that's sweet. It really is. You have no idea how much I would love to take you up on that offer. But, I have a feeling that if you and I did that. Then, we wouldn't be getting much sleeping done at all...Plus, I need my beauty rest if you want me to come with you to your dance studio and we can practice those moves you were so eager to show me the other night. That is now that I know how flexible you are." Elena told him with a wink as she turned away from him and pulled her tank top over her head and then began to pull her jeans over her underwear, one leg at a time.

"Oh! Ha..Wow! So, umm...I take that as a rejection then? You don't want me?" Stefan said, pretending to pout a bit as Elena turned back around, straightening her shirt up before she stepped closer to him, placing one of her hands on his chest.

"Oh, Stefan. I want you. I never said that I didn't. But, I want to get my beauty sleep too. Because, well...let's face it. I want to learn everything you're willing to teach me. So, Excuse me...as I-" Elena began to say watching as Stefan gritted his teeth and rubbed his face with his hands.

"As you what?" Stefan asked in a serious tone, locking his eyes on her and licking his lips when she stepped closer towards him, pulling her hand to the side of his body as he leaned forward.

"As I take your shirt with me! See you later, Coach!" Elena said with a wink before disappearing out of the room with her things and leaving Stefan with a stunned expression and the craving of wanting her all over again.

* * *

"You did what!" Bonnie exclaimed as she watched Elena throw herself onto the couch and stare down at her hands almost instantly.

"I..Um..I...Well, I had sex with Stefan..you know the guy whose-" Elena began to say as Bonnie almost choked on the water that was in her mouth, swallowing it quickly as she rolled her eyes at her best friend.

"Elena, I know very well who Stefan is! But, I guess I didn't really realize that you two were that intimate. I mean, I've seen you guys flirting like teenagers around here and stuff. But, I didn't really think that there was anything else to it." Bonnie explained as she heard Elena let out a laugh before she spoke in a soft tone.

"That's the thing. It's not like I can call him my boyfriend. Because, well we've only been on one semi-dinner, hot sexy dancing in a club date. But other than that..He's just..Look, Bonnie. It just happened in the heat of the moment. If it interferes with him working here. I mean, if you or Jeremy aren't okay with me seeing him or us like that. Then, I can just tell him that it isn't going to work out." Elena suggested as she watched Bonnie roll her eyes at her again and shake her head.

"You know that it's not that. It's just, I guess I'd be more comfortable if you had an apartment or something. You know, just so that you're not-" Bonnie began to say as Elena cut her off.

"I know. I get it. You don't want Stefan and I to be sneaking around on your property. Because it would be bad for the business. So, I'll be moving out of here and into the city as soon as I find my own place. I promise, no more sneaking around with him. Until, I get my own place." Elena vowed as she heard Bonnie sigh.

"Elena, I'm not trying to be a hypocrite. I know I might sound like one. But, all I'm saying is that it's your private life and I get that. I would just hate for someone to see you and report the two of you. You know." Bonnie explained as she watched Elena nod her head in response.

"That's fine. I guess, I'm going to start looking for an apartment then." Elena told her in a sharp tone as she got up from the couch and gave Bonnie a quick smile before leaving the room.

* * *

She had been sitting in one of the small rooms that she was renting out from her brother and Bonnie, since she had temporarily moved into the B&B almost a month ago. The afternoon seemed to be fading fast and Elena was nearly falling asleep over her lap top with all the research for finding an apartment close to town, when she heard her cell phone buzz on the night stand beside her.

She picked it up quickly and said a soft hello. Surprise and a gleeful smile on her face when she heard his voice on the other line.

"Hey. So, I got your number from your brother. I kind of lied and told him that I needed it just in case of an emergency." Stefan commented with a laugh as he heard Elena exhale deeply.

"Emergency, huh? So..What's wrong? You're not like dying are you..you know from like a broken heart or something." Elena commented in a teasing tone as she heard Stefan let out a sarcastic laugh.

"Oh, you think your just so funny don't you. Actually, no. I'm not. But, I am-" He began to say as Elena cut him off again.

"Stefan, it's getting late and I'm tired. So, what is it?" She asked, a hint of irritation in her tone.

"Well, It's two things actually. One is that I'm home alone and the other is that I'm dying because I want to see you again. When can you come over?" Stefan asked in a hopeful tone as he heard Elena exhale deeply.

"Stefan, I can't..I promised Bonnie that you and I would stop fooling around while I'm living at the B&B. I'm actually looking for an apartment." She commented.

Stefan let out a laugh and cleared his throat. "Well, that's nice. But, here's the thing. I'm alone and It's my place so we're technically not going to be fooling around the B&B...we'll be doing most of that in-" Stefan began to say as he heard Elena let out a laugh.

"Ha..So, If I come over then I guess I won't be needing to sleep with your shirt tonight?" She asked him in a playful tone.

"Oh sweetheart. No. Because, you'll have something better. Me." Stefan told her simply as he heard the phone cut off and the dial tone blaring into his ears, a smirk forming on his face as he waited for her to show up.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading & Follow me on Twitter for updates or if you just want to chat! Green_Eyes1989 **

**-Until Next Time-**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey all! Here's CH.12! Hope you all enjoy it! Please let me know what you think. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWELVE-The Mysterious Ways Of Love-**

"So, you made me come over...What is it exactly that you want?" Elena asked him, watching as Stefan grabbed her hand into his and smiled widely at her.

"I want us be more than just potential dancing partners...I mean, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want you to be my girlfriend and I wanted to ask you face to face instead of over the phone." Stefan told her, watching as her eyes grew huge and she scratched her head in confusion.

"So, here I was thinking that you would call me over here for sex again. But, you'd imagine my surprise when you tell me that you want me to be your girlfriend. Stefan, I-" Elena began to say, watching as he patted the seat cushion of the brown couch underneath him and took Elena's hand into his to make her sit down beside him.

"I know that you're still kind of getting over Daniel. I know that. But, I want to be here for you, I like you Elena and I'm hoping that you feel the same way too. That you can realize that not every man is like your ex-fiancé. He hurt you, But I won't. I promise you that I would never do that." Stefan told her truthfully, hearing as she let out a loud breath.

"How am I going to be sure that you're not going to wake up one day and be like that girlfriend of mine..really sucks!" She asked him, watching as he pulled her into his lap, her arms wrapping around him with a smile on her face.

"Because you don't and I like you too much to think that you suck. You're an amazing person. I just don't think that you see it enough." Stefan told her truthfully as she laughed, placing her head on his shoulder as she sighed.

"Ha, you're too cute for words. And just because you're a nice guy, I'll agree to it. So, what about those dancing lessons that you offered?" She asked him, brushing her hand against his cheek as Stefan smiled widely at her.

"Oh, those lessons. Let's go. You just gave me and idea." He told her, pulling her closer to his chest as he lifted himself up with Elena in his arms.

"Where are we going?" She asked with a chuckle as he smiled at her, kissing her lips softly as he replied. "To the dance studio that I have in town. Then, I was thinking that we could go and do something fun." Stefan commented when he moved with Elena in his arms and once they reached the front door, placing her on her feet.

"Do I need to take my car?" Elena asked him with a smile as he grabbed their coats and laughed.

"Nope. All you have to do is hold on tight sweetheart." Stefan told her with a grin as they left the apartment and headed out towards the studio where he taught the kids dancing during the weekends.

* * *

It was dark and cool when they had gotten to the studio, the wooden floor creaked under their feet as Elena heard Stefan close the door behind him and turn on the bright florescent lights.

"So, Coach...What did you have in mind?" Elena asked him, turning on her heels as she watched Stefan nod his head with a laugh.

"Well, I was thinking that I could teach you a few things..and then I could show you one of my favorite places here in town." He commented, watching as Elena stepped in front of him and smiled widely. "So, teach me then." She replied with a smirk, suddenly feeling his rough hands around her hips and Stefan pulling her towards him.

She watched as Stefan tightened his grip around her and then began to move them step by step around the room, stopping when Elena accidently stepped on his shoes.

"I'm sorry!" She told him in an apologetic tone as he looked down at his feet and smiled at her with a grin. "It's fine..Let's put some music on and face the mirror." Stefan told her, spinning Elena around and hearing as she giggled before crashing into his chest.

She watched with wide brown eyes as Stefan gripped her hand tightly, intertwining their hands together when he locked his eyes on her and placed the music on with a remote in his hands. Elena nodded quickly as she tried to look down at his feet. But his finger tips stopped her.

"I'm leading us, so you need to trust your dance partner. Now, look at my face. Not my feet and just let's take it slowly and from the top." He told her informatively as she blew out a breath and nodded.

"Who taught you how to dance.. especially the tango and salsa. I mean, those two are really hot, to be honest and difficult to learn." Elena commented, feeling his hands begin to slowly creep their way down her backside.

"I took street dancing classes when I was a kid. You know like, break dancing stuff. But, I got talked into doing a competition with Katherine in high school and I thought to myself sure, hot girls all dancing with me. Why not." Stefan told her with a bashful smile.

"So, you joined because you wanted to be surrounded by all the girls." Elena commented with a laugh as she turned her body towards the large mirrors that surrounded the room.

Suddenly, she felt his hands on her once again, placing them roughly on her hips. "You know, I'm kind of glad that I got into it." Stefan told her in a low voice, placing his face near her ear as he felt Elena exhale deeply. Stefan licked his lips as he watched Elena's chest rise and fall with each staggered breath.

"Really...why's that?" Elena asked, her voice getting stuck in her throat as she smirked.

"Because, it's a good way of getting really close to someone." Stefan commented, moving a few pieces of Elena's hair to the side as he bent his head down and kissed the curve of her neck, smiling to himself as Elena closed her eyes to his touch.

She could feel his hands start to lift up her shirt, tracing his fingertips against the waist band of sweatpants as Elena exhaled deeply. "Well, if you keep doing that...We'll never get anything done." She commented, her voice getting stuck in her throat as she felt his lips continue to suck and softly nip at her skin.

"I know." Stefan told her quietly, turning her around in one swift motion as he walked them backwards and pushed her small frame up against the glass, hearing as her voice let out a breathless moan and his name mixed into her speech.

But just as Stefan was about to lift her hands above her head to kiss her more passionately. The door to the dance studio opened suddenly and Damon came rushing in.

"There you guys are! Elena, you need to come back to your brothers and Bonnie's." Damon told her, in a breathless tone as he watched her slightly back away from Stefan and give him a confused look when she replied. "Why?"

Damon didn't seem fazed that they were both about to get really hot and heavy. He was too stunned and breathless by the surprise that was waiting for them all when they got back to the B&B. So, he ran this hands through his hair and gave her an apologetic look. "Because you're ex-fiancé, Daniel. Showed up at Bonnie's and he's looking for you."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! & Until Next Time! :) **

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Green_Eyes1989**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey all! So, sorry that it's taken me forever to update this story! But, I hope that many of you are still interested in it. :) **

**Here's CH.13. Enjoy & Thanks for reading! **

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN-The Mysterious Ways Of Love **

Elena felt like she wanted to throw up at Damon's words as she watched Stefan glance up at her in confusion. "What the hell would he want?" Stefan asked, watching as his brother left the room and probably sat outside waiting for them or left because he seemed to be in shock as well.

"I don't know. I mean, he might...want money that I owe him. He might want..." Elena's voice trailed off as she locked her eyes on Stefan as he stood in front of her, his hands firmly placed on her hips.

"He might want you back." He stated softly as he gazed up at her, watching her shake at him in denial.

"That's ridiculous! Why now? He's had two months to make up his mind..More than two months actually. I checked out of that relationship a long time ago. Even before he proposed, Daniel and I were just...so lost, we were two different worlds together." Elena commented, swallowing the lump in her throat as she placed her hands over Stefan's, leaning her head forward onto his chest and exhaling deeply.

"Well, the only way to find out. Is to go see what he wants." Stefan told her, placing his hands away from Elena's and watching her nod her head at him in agreement. "Yeah, I guess so."

* * *

She wasn't even ready to see Daniel, it was too painful to deal with. He had broken her heart so much and part of her, a small part was still struggling to get past it. So, as Elena took her first few steps onto the wet ground under her feet and looked up at the B&B, towards the porch. Her heart sunk into her stomach and she felt sick. She had asked Stefan to leave her to it...to face him alone. Even though Stefan had refused to leave her side, Elena begged him that she would be fine, that she could handle it.

Her hands shook and her legs wobbled a bit when she walked up the stairs and was finally face to face with Daniel, her ex-lover, ex-fiancé, ex-best friend.

"What do you want?" Elena asked him, leaning against the white railing of the porch posts that were all around the building.

"Elena..It's been a while. I wanted to see how you've been doing." Daniel told her, getting up from the porch swing and smiling widely at her.

"Yeah, it has. I'm doing great..Well, I was doing great! Before you showed up, Daniel..How did you find me? What do you want?" Elena asked, her voice beginning to break when she locked her eyes on his dark blue eyes that looked sincere and guilt ridden.

"It was easy. I asked Caroline...Elena, I'm sorry. I am so sorry for everything I did, I've been alone since you left...Trying to figure out when we got so messed up. Please, I love you, I miss you! I never meant to hurt you and I just...I want us to start over." Daniel told her, walking over to her and placing his hand near hers. Watching as Elena exhaled, cringing a bit at their sudden closeness.

"We can't do that..You know that. Daniel, I've moved on from you, I'm with someone else, now...I-" Elena began to say, hearing as Daniel let out a small laugh and shook his head.

"The guy on the motorcycle that drove you here..Him. I figured. He kissed you before he left. Look, Elena... I know that you may have moved on from me in these last two months...But, have you really? Tell me that you don't think about me when your with him. Tell me that you don't wonder what I've been doing since you left. Because I sure as hell have been missing you, been thinking about you and all the things, I wish I would have done differently!" Daniel commented, stepping closer towards her as she gave him a weak smile and took a step back.

"You hurt me! You cheated on me and then everyone else was getting into our business and I was dying inside. I wanted to be set free, to know what it was like to be without you! And, now that I know what it's like...I can't tell you that I haven't thought about you because I have and-" Elena began to say, stepping away from him and going to sit on the porch swing. Her head hanging low as she felt the swing move and noticed that he had taken a seat next to her.

"I've changed, Elena. I really have..I know that I took you for granted before. But, not anymore. That's why I came out here to find you..Elena..I still love you, I want us to be together again. But, only when you're ready for it. I want to take it slow." He told her, placing his hand firmly on her knee cap and squeezing it a bit.

"I can't trust you, Daniel. I loved you, I still love you...somewhere deep down in my heart and I probably always will. But, if I went back to Irvington with you. Then, we'd be right back where we started! I can't do that..to myself...to him, my new boyfriend." Elena told him, moving a bit so that he wasn't touching her anymore as she locked her watery brown eyes on her ex-fiancé.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you anymore and I promise you that I've changed for the better. Elena! Please believe me..I know that you don't want to hurt this new guy..But, I want us to try and work this out..Go out to lunch with me tomorrow? I promise that I won't try anything and we'll just talk. That's it..It will be your call on whatever you want to do once we're done talking about this." Daniel told her, watching as Elena got up from the swing and turned to look down at him.

"To decide what?" Elena asked, suspicion in her voice.

"To decide if you and I are worth saving and if you want to go back to Irvington with me..I promise you that it won't be like before." Daniel told her, placing his hand on her back and watching as she tensed at his touch. Before he stepped off the porch completely in one swift motion and walked back to his car, reminding her to think about it and to call him in the morning.

* * *

"What the hell did Daniel want?" Caroline commented over the phone loudly as Elena exhaled and threw herself down on her bed.

"Well, thanks to you giving him my new address. He wants me back!" Elena exclaimed, hearing as Caroline gasped.

"I'm sorry..Okay. I just thought maybe he wanted something other than you...I didn't realize that he still loved you..Elena, What are you going to do? What are you going to tell the new boyfriend, Stefan for that matter!" Caroline asked, fishing for answers.

"Caroline...Daniel and I have a history and part of me just wants to go meet up with him and hear him out. But, the other part is screaming to tell him to fuck off because he broke my heart. I loved him, Caroline..Part of me still does! I just..I-" Elena said, her voice and rambling words being cut off , when she heard Caroline exhale deeply, probably rolling her eyes too at her comments.

"And..What about Stefan?" She reminded Elena quickly.

"Uh..Well, I was going to tell him eventually..maybe after my lunch with Daniel.. I just want the chance of

hearing Daniel out without any distractions, I guess." Elena told her truthfully.

"You mean, without Stefan finding out about it! Elena, are you crazy! Do you even still love Daniel? I mean, do you love Stefan too?" Caroline commented softly.

"I love Stefan. He's different, kind, under all of that badass attitude there is such a nice, handsome and gently guy and I love spending time with him. But, then...There's Daniel...Who I used to be crazy about, I loved him so much and he loved me back...once. I guess, I just want to feel loved like that again...I don't know..I don't want Stefan to know about it, yet..But, I'm going to need to decide if I want to get back with Daniel again..If we still have something worth saving." Elena explained, hearing as Caroline let out an annoyed breath.

"Well, I just hope that no one gets hurt in this process of you pulling your head out of your ass and realizing that you shouldn't fall under Daniel Green's spell! Just, be careful. Please!" Caroline begged her as she heard Elena yawn, letting out a small laugh as she told her best friend that she would talk to her later.

"I won't Caroline..I promise..I'll be careful." Elena vowed. Hanging up the phone. Wrestling with the her decisions and if she should just go over to Stefan's apartment and tell him why Daniel was back, that he wanted her and that he was sorry for everything that he had done.

But, Elena was too conflicted, too confused because deep down she knew that she loved them both in different ways and now that her past was back to haunt her..to make her think twice about ever leaving him. Elena needed to decide who she was meant to be with..who she belonged with and who she loved more...Stefan or Daniel?

* * *

**A/N: Hmm...So, I have a feeling that Daniel will be around for a while..trying to win Elena back..He's certainly going to be stirring up some drama for SE's blooming romance! :)**

**-Until Next Time-**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Green_Eyes1989**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey all! So, here's Chapter 14! Enjoy!**

**Also the next update WILL HAVE A TIME JUMP OF 6 months later to move the story along! **

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN-The Mysterious Ways Of Love-**

"You look good." Daniel told her softly as he pulled back her chair so that Elena could sit down in it.

"Thanks. So do you. Daniel, I-" She began to say as she heard him let out a small laugh and sit down across from her at the table of the small Italian restaurant that they were at.

"Elena, I know. I'm sorry for what I did before to you, to us. I didn't mean it. I miss you so much and I came here to see if we could start over..again. No one will get in our way. I promise you that." He reassured her, placing his hand in the middle of the table and watching as she hesitantly placed her hand into his and squeezed it tightly.

" We were destructive together before towards the end and the worst part was that I still loved you! I actually cared about you. Daniel, I gave you everything..Every piece of me and you tore it into shreds!" Elena exclaimed as she took her hand away and locked her eyes on his.

"I know and it won't matter how many times I tell you that I'm sorry for everything I've done. But, I am. I truly am sorry for hurting you..I took you for granted and I didn't deserve you. But now-" He started to explain as Elena raised her eyebrows at him and spoke.

"But, now..What? You've changed? You've seen the light! Look, Daniel...I don't think that I-" Elena started to say before Daniel cut her off and watched as the waiter brought them two waters, placing it on their table as Daniel gave Elena a saddened look.

"I have changed. I don't want to be who I was before..You leaving me was the best thing that happened to me. It woke me up and made me realize that I was a fool, an idiot forever letting you go. That I made a mistake in letting you go..So, that's why I'm here. To seek forgiveness." He explained as he watched Elena exhale deeply, staring down at her menu and suddenly not feeling that hungry anymore.

"Why are you here, really. To tell me that you love me again, to screw with my head and make me really think about who I love..Is that it? What do you want, Daniel!" Elena told him in a harsh tone as she locked her eyes on him and watched when he hung his head low, glancing down at the table for a moment, almost as if he were collecting his thoughts.

"I'm not here to cause trouble. I just want you back, that's all..I want us to be together again. I mean, let's be honest. If you still didn't love me or have any feelings for me at all. The minute you saw me standing on that porch yesterday. You would have told me to go to hell. To go back to Irvington and to leave you alone. Why didn't you?" He asked her, watching as she ran her hands through her hair nervously, locking her brown eyes onto his.

"I don't know..." Elena's voice trailed off as she began watching the waiter come over again and they ordered their lunches. She said nothing more as she watched Daniel hand the waiter their menus and then once he left, Daniel cleared his throat to speak in a soft tone.

"I know why you didn't. It's because deep down in that heart of yours. You still love me..Come back to Irvington with me, Elena. Please..We'll be happy together again. I promise." He vowed, watching as she intertwined her fingers together and placed them in front of her.

"I can't go back with you...I'm sorry...I have a boyfriend that I care about. Daniel." Elena countered, watching as he smiled at her and then shook his head.

"You barely know him, Elena. You haven't even been here for 4 months straight..more like 2-3 months..I've been counting the days, since you left me. You don't love him, Elena..Think about it. Come back with me, I promise that we'll be better than before, together. Let me know in a few hours..What you decide..Just know that I'll be waiting for you." He told her, leaning across the table to kiss her lips softly.

Elena didn't push him away, she accepted the kiss. But, she still felt so lost, so confused that half of her thought that maybe Daniel was telling the truth, they would be better than before...he seemed like he had changed enough. But, then there was Stefan who she would be hurting, leaving behind and the other half of her was torn as to if she wanted to go. But, Elena knew that either way, someone would be hurting and that whatever she would decide..She would need to tell Stefan the truth, he deserved that much from her.

* * *

"It was just lunch..Please don't be upset with me." Elena told him, grabbing onto his hands tightly and pulling herself up from Stefan's bed so that she was now standing right in front of him.

"Just lunch? With your ex-fiancé? Elena, he wants you back and you don't seem to care! I mean, tell me you don't love him..Please. Just, tell me that you still don't feel anything for him." Stefan told her, placing his hands on each side of her face, stroking her skin with his fingertips.

"I... I can't. Stefan, I'm sorry..I love being with you and you have been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. But, Daniel and I..we have a history and part of me still feels for something for him..I'm sorry." Elena told him, watching as Stefan took his hands off of her face and stepped back, placing his hands across his chest and looking down at his feet before staring back at her.

"I'm sorry! Okay! I thought that I could move on from him, that's why I came here. I never wanted this! I never wanted him back in my life, but he's here and he wants me to decide if I should stay here or go back with him." Elena told him, stepping forward to grab his hands into hers and hearing as Stefan scuffed at her words.

"You never wanted this? If you never wanted this, you wouldn't have gone to the damn lunch! You would have told him to go to hell. Elena he hurt you and your practically telling me that you and Daniel are going to be in Irvington together! But, the funny thing is..you haven't told me what you want! What do you want?" Stefan shouted at her, watching as Elena started to cry.

"Stefan, please! Part of me wants to stay here, with you...but then there is a part of me that is still with him, that wants to try and see if Daniel and I can be together again. I want to go back to Irvington to see if we can patch things up." She began to explain, feeling as Stefan nearly stared her down.

"If you left now, you'd be making a huge mistake! Part of you wants to stay here, what does that even mean?" Stefan shouted at her, watching her wipe away her tears, hearing as Elena's voice cracked when she spoke to him.

"It means that I love you! That the part of me that wants to stay here is that part of me that loves you...Stefan..Please..let's not do this." Elena begged, crying even harder as she watched Stefan close his eyes and exhale deeply.

"Fine then. Let's do this..I'm done, Elena. I hope you have a good life with Daniel. But, just so you know. There's no guarantee that I'll be here if and when he breaks your heart again. I'm sorry too, because for a few weeks now, I actually thought that I loved you and that you cared about me. But, you obviously don't give a damn. Have a nice life!" He told her, pivoting on his heels and walking out of the apartment quickly.

Stefan didn't stop walking, as he heard her shout out his name to stop. But, just as she reached the front door. Elena nearly ran into Damon and Katherine who gave her a confused look and prevented her from going after Stefan any further.

"What happened?" Damon asked, placing his hands on her shoulders as he gave Elena a worried look.

"We got into a fight..I'm sorry, Damon. Please tell him that I never meant for any of this to happen and that I hope he can forgive me. Let him know that I'm going to miss him too." Elena told him in a broken tone as she stepped away from Damon and watched as the dust on the patch of dirt road got kicked up and swirled around, when Stefan sped off on his motorcycle without looking back at her or the B&B in the distance.

"I'm sorry." Elena told Damon softly, brushing past Damon and running back towards the B&B to pack her things.

* * *

It had already been an hour since she had packed up her things in her small room and Elena was picking up the last few things of hers. But just as she stepped outside of the building. She looked around slowly, her eyes falling upon a framed picture of her and Stefan that Bonnie had taken when he was first showing her a few dance moves outside. She swallowed hard as she shut the door behind her and placed her bags on the steps, watching as Daniel gave her a soft smile, taking her hand into his and kissing it softly when he nodded at her.

"You ready for this?" He asked her, watching as Elena nodded back at him and give him a genuine smile.

"Yeah. I left a note on the counter of the receptionist desk for Jeremy and Bonnie, explaining everything and telling them not to worry about me. All, my stuff is packed. So, it's time to go..there's nothing left here for me anymore." Elena told him, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ears as she looked out towards the now softly lit sky in front of her, staring down at the dirt patch where she had last seen Stefan disappear off too.

"Let's go then." Daniel told her, helping her to the car. Daniel placed her bags in the trunk of his car and shut it. He unlocked the doors and watched as Elena sat down in the passenger side, sighing out a breathed as he entered into the car and smiled at her.

"I love you, Elena. We're going to be okay." He told her, grabbing her hand into his and squeezing it. But all Elena could seem to see in front of her was Stefan's face, his hand into hers. But, she quickly shook it off when she felt the car go back in reverse as Daniel drove away from the B&B and she closed her eyes, tightly. Feeling a tear escape her eyes as she thought about Stefan's words to her and the last words she had said to him..she had hurt him and she was now going to regret it.

* * *

He wasn't sure how far out of the city limits he had gone, Stefan needed to get away from her, from the B&B and all the questions he knew Damon and Katherine would be asking him if he went back to apartment with tear stained cheeks.

He sat on the small patch of grass for a while, across from the flashing lights of the city that he had loved so much. But also the city where he had experience his heart breaking. Stefan didn't want to go back. But, he knew that he didn't have a choice.

So, as he climbed back onto the motorcycle, wiping away his damp cheeks and exhaling deeply. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Part of him had prayed that she was already gone, that she had realized that she was making a huge mistake by staying and just left with Daniel. But, then there was that shattered part of him that hoped that when he got back to the apartment, that Elena would be waiting for him on the steps, telling him that she was sorry, that he was right...that she loved him as much as he seemed to love her.

The mixture of the flashing lights in front of his eyes from the passing cars and the thoughts of Elena had mixed together as Stefan road on his motorcycle, making his way back home. But, suddenly he felt everything come to a stop. His heart pounding against his ears when he took a sharp turn on the rural road that he was on and then everything became a blur, the smell of fuel being spilled, the sound of skidding breaks and the loud crash of metal and pavement being met together. And, all Stefan could feel was the hard, cold pavement underneath him and the coldness that surrounded him as the pain from the accident took over and his world went into darkness.

* * *

**A/N: Ohh No! Stefan's hurt and Elena left with Daniel back to her old small town. Let's hope that she comes back to see if Stefan is okay. Like, I said the next update will be 6 months later and it should be surprising.. :) **

**-Until Next Time- **

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at:Green_Eyes1989**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey All! So, here's CH.15! Please note that this chapter begins with a flashback and has a 6 month time jump!**

**Thanks for reading & enjoy!**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN-The Mysterious Ways Of Lov****_e-_**

_"Turn around." Elena stated sharply, watching the fading lights of the city disappear as she heard Daniel let out a laugh._

_"Why? We're half way out of this shitty old town that you've been calling home for two months. Now..We'll be together." He told her, stepping on the gas pedal more and feeling as the engine revved at the sudden pressure. _

_"I can't do this. I don't love you! Daniel, I was blinded by love..by you and sitting here, thinking about our future. I just realized that you and I don't have one..at all." She told him, swallowing the lump in her throat._

_"Ha, seriously? You break up with that idiot boyfriend of yours and then you leave with me! Now, you want me to go back. Fine! But, once I turn this damn car around and get you back to the B&B. Then, we're done..for good. I loved you, Elena. But you hurt me by leaving." Daniel told her, exiting on the closest exit and turning around at a gas station parking lot._

_"Well, that makes two of us. Once I get back there. I never want to see you again, I never want you to contact me or anything. You and I are done, for good. My future isn't with you, Daniel...it's with him..I love him. I love Stefan." She told him softly as she watched him get back onto the freeway and start to drive back towards where she knew Stefan would be waiting._

* * *

_Elena wasn't sure how long they had been driving down the rural road. But she was sure that it had been a few hours since they had turned around at the gas station. She was lost in her own thoughts as usually and not speaking much until Daniel spoke first. _

_"So, what am I going to do with the rest of your stuff?" He asked, turning towards her for a brief moment and hearing Elena clear her throat. "Sell it. I'm not going back to Irvington at all. I'm staying here, Daniel. I'll find a job and a place to live...I'll be happy." She told him softly. _

_But just as Daniel was about to respond back to Elena. She felt him quickly slam on the breaks. "What the hell?" He said out loud, seeing the pieces of metal and wreckage of the motorcycle leading to a ditch on the side of the road, most of the pieces of wreckage from the crash were right before there was a curve in the road. _

_Elena gave him a look as she watched Daniel stop the car on the side of the road, getting out quickly and walking towards the pieces of metal, shouting over his shoulder at Elena to stay in the car. She watched him step off to the side until he disappeared into the barely lit area of where the rest of the accident lead too. _

_She opened the passenger side door and shouted for him. But, she didn't hear anything for a few minutes. Elena sat quietly, tears streaming down her face, her heart pounding against her chest and then she heard it. _

_"Call 911, Elena! Hurry up..He's unconscious and bleeding!" Daniel shouted to her, watching as he came out the ditch with a very familiar person in his arms. The man's face covered in blood, scratches all over and his clothing was all torn up._

_But, she knew. Elena could tell, even with all the blood that was on his face that it was him as Daniel carried him to the road and placed him on the grass, closer towards the car._

_"Did you call 911? Do you know him?" Daniel asked, wiping away the blood on his hands and glancing over at Elena who was shaking in the passenger side seat._

_"Yes, that's my boyfriend...Stefan." She told him in a strangled tone as she handed Daniel the cell phone in her hands, feeling as he pulled her close to him, trying to calm her shaking body as they waited for the ambulance to arrive._

* * *

**...6 MONTHS LATER...**

"How long have you been here?" Damon asked, leaning against the door frame of Stefan's hospital room and watching as Elena placed her head on Stefan's rising and falling chest, her dark brown hair flowing across his body.

"I don't know...I don't want to go back to the empty apartment..Damon, I can't." She told him, holding onto Stefan's hand and kissing it softly.

"I know, Elena..But, you need to get some sleep. You have barely eaten too. It's not good you know..especially since you haven't slept for a few days." She heard his voice trail off as she crinkled her nose at him.

"I know. But, I can't leave him..Just in case there is some sort of change." She told him, watching as Damon stepped further into the hospital room and sat down across from his brother's girlfriend.

"You know, I can't get the last words I said to him out of my head...I hurt him so much. But, I didn't mean too..I love your brother, Damon...And, the more I've been here..the more I've been sitting in this damn chair! I've realized it... Stefan and I changed each other in a good way and I'm thankful for him. For every minute I got to spend with him." She told him, tears streaming down her face as she watched Damon lean across the bed and grab her hand into his.

"I know. He loves you too. Elena..We all know it. I mean, I know that you both didn't get a chance to spend a lot of time as a couple together. But, cherish the time that you got to spend with him. Because, he's going to need all of our help to get better." Damon told her, letting go of her hand and leaning back into his chair.

"So, when are you going to tell everyone that two months after your brother's accident. That you took Katherine down to city hall and finally made her, your wife?" Elena said with laugh as she watched Damon smile at her with a grin.

"As soon as you call Caroline and tell her that you stayed here and about your little secret." Damon told her, watching Elena get up slowly and smile at him.

" What? That I've decided to move here for good. That I bought an apartment, so that Stefan and I could live together in it..once he gets out of here. Yeah, I guess I need to stop avoiding calling her...huh?" Elena told him, placing her hands on her hips as she got up and began to walk out the door.

"Yeah. Hey, Elena..Everything is going to be fine. I promise you..Stefan's going to wake up and you guys will figure this all out, together. You'll see." Damon told her reassuringly as he watched her turn towards the hallway and walk out of the room without another word being spoken.

* * *

Elena had felt like in these last six months, she was living at the hospital. Although she had gotten a job at a nearby bar as a bartender. She had still felt like telling Caroline about the fact that she decided to stay in New York and not go back to Irvington with Daniel was going to be a huge issue to tackle.

So, as she sat there in the waiting room, watching as the nurses and doctors passed her by. Knots began to grow in her stomach, more and more when she finally got the courage to dial the phone number.

"Hey stranger! So, you don't call your best friend for six months! What the hell!" Caroline shouted in a playful tone as she heard Elena exhale.

"I...um..I'm sorry, Caroline. I've had a lot of things going on. I'm sorry. So, uh, How are things going with you?" Elena asked, trying to change the subject off of herself and to Caroline's life instead.

"Well, Tyler and I sold the house..We need something a bit smaller since we're moving to..Um, New York actually. Well, because..I'm pregnant, Elena!" Caroline nearly shirked from excitement as Elena let out a laugh and then spoke with an excited tone.

"Oh my god! Your having a baby and Tyler is actually agreeing to move?" Elena asked her.

"Yeah, well...He wants the baby's family to be close by. Since, my parents moved out of state and won't be able to babysit anyways..So, I figured that you would be okay with that." Caroline explained with a gleeful tone.

"Of course. I would love that! I miss you guys so much." Elena commented, her voice beginning to crack at her own words, tears starting to stream down her face.

"Elena, what's wrong?" Caroline asked in a soft and worried tone.

"I already know that you heard that I didn't leave New York. But, There's something else you don't know." Elena commented, running her hands through her hair nervously and exhaling deeply before she spoke.

"Uhh..Stefan, my boyfriend. The dance coach that I was telling you about. Caroline, the night that I told Daniel that I wanted to stay in New York..We were the ones who found him on the side of the road..He's been in a coma for the last six months and I don't know what do to anymore." Elena confessed, bursting into tears as her head suddenly snapped up to the familiar voices of two people that she had been seeing a lot of in the last few months, Stefan and Damon's parents.

Elena quickly told Caroline that she had go as she hung up the cell phone in her hands and got up, running towards Stefan's room. Barely looking up as she nearly bumped into Damon and Katherine who both looked distraught.

"What's going on, Damon! What are your parents doing here?" Elena asked him in a hurried tone as she tried to move past Damon, who now had both hands on her arms, stopping her from entering the hospital room.

"They've come to move, Stefan to another hospital...One that's a lot more private. They're moving him to Manhattan, Elena. And, they just told me that there will be no one or anything that can stop them from doing so. Because, if he doesn't show any brain activity in the next few months, they're going to take him off life support." Damon explained, leaning his head back against the wall and exhaling deeply.

"We can fight this, Damon. Stefan's not going anywhere. Caroline and Tyler are both in the legal field...I'm going to call them and see if they know someone to help with this!" Elena exclaimed as she watched Damon let go of her arms and give her a blank stare.

"But, Elena-" Damon began to say, watching as she turned away from him briefly and then back towards him again.

"We have to try, Damon..It's Stefan, we're talking about here! Someone we all love..The man that I love!" Elena reminded him, placing her hands onto her phone as she walked down the hall with determination pumping in her blood and the hope that Stefan would wake up soon.

* * *

**A/N: Uh..ohh! His parents are going to be a big problem! **

**-Until Next Time!-**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Green_Eyes1989**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hey all! Sorry that it's taken so long to do an update for this story..I had severe writer's block and it looks like I'm finally over it. Also, that is one of the main reason's why this update is somewhat short. But, I promise that the next one will be a lot longer. :) **

**Thanks for reading & enjoy!**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN-The Mysterious Ways Of Love-**

It had been four days since his parents had showed up and told them all that they wanted Stefan to be transported. His father, Joseph had yelled at Elena and told her that the reason their son was in a coma, with a slim chance of waking up anytime soon was because of her.

While, his mother Annie had told her that it was just stress, that her husband was sorry for saying those cruel things and that overtime, he would stop blaming everyone for a mistake that his son made...for an accident that happened because of one wrong move. But then again she seemed overly nice to Elena, almost like a wolf in sheep's clothing..sneaking around the hospital..waiting to strike her.

"I don't get it. I mean, they say that he's not waking up. But, I swear that whenever I look at him, I see his eyelashes moving, his hands twitch too." Elena commented, sitting across from Stefan's bedside and looking over at Bonnie, who was holding Stefan's on the other side, glancing over at him and then back at Elena briefly before she would just stared at the pattern in the blanket that she had sewed for Stefan.

"Sometimes, it's just muscle spasms. People who end up in a coma like Stefan's, get those sometimes." Bonnie commented, leaning back into her chair and glancing over at Elena sadly.

"Come on, wake up..Please...Wake up! I need you." Elena cried, holding his hand against her lips and then she heard it, the gasp coming from Bonnie.

"He twitched...he just twitched!" Bonnie exclaimed, getting up from her chair and rushing out of the room, a gleeful expression on her face as she left with a cell phone in her hands, probably to call Jeremy and tell him the news, Stefan had moved..after 6 months of no movement at all.

"I'm sorry for everything...But, your parents want to take you off life support if you don't wake up and...I can't imagine loosing you..Stefan, I love you." Elena said out loud, hearing a scuff come from the entrance of the door and when she looked up, she locked eyes on his mother, Annie.

"Love isn't always enough to hold on to something. He's suffering, Miss Gilbert and I can't watch my son suffer..If Stefan doesn't wake up soon...we'll be taking him to a hospice, where he will be on his death bed...he will be taken care of until his last breath." His mother stated, her eyes glued to Elena's which were tightly clasped around Stefan's hand.

"How can you do that! He's your son...It's not fair..how can you be so cold hearted! you out of all people should love him!" Elena nearly yelled, letting go of Stefan's hand and stepping away from the bed, walking towards his mother, her hands tightly clutching the strap of her expensive purse and her eyelashes moist from fresh tears.

"He was my son..I loved him a long time ago. But that was before he became a disgrace to this family and took a construction job that pays very little. My son was supposed to be a lawyer, a very well paid lawyer who went to an Ivy league school and got married to the girl of his dreams, Rebekah...But, instead he came here and he met you, the one who put him in a coma...You, Miss Gilbert are to blame for my son being in this state and I pray that you wake up feeling that guilty eating away at you, every single day of your miserable life." Annie told her in an angered and hostile tone as she turned on her heels and walked away.

Elena watched silently as his mother disappeared from her view and she leaned against the door frame of his hospital room, glancing out at all the people that were moving passed her, getting lost in her thoughts when she closed her eyes and suddenly the cell phone in her pocket rang.

"Caroline! Thank God!" Elena commented, taking a few steps away from Stefan's room to sit down on one of the chairs in the hallway.

"Hey, so I got your message..They want to move him to a private facility?" Caroline asked, hearing as Elena exhaled deeply.

"Yeah, and his parents hate me...They want to move him to a hospice to pretty much die there! I can't handle it, Caroline. Have you found out anything that would help stop them?" Elena asked anxiousness in her voice as she heard Caroline let out a breath.

"Yes...Actually, I have. But, I won't be able to do anything about it since we're in the middle of moving. But, I'm going to send Tyler to see you and talk with Stefan's brother about this..Elena, things will be okay..I promise..Maybe he'll wake up." Caroline told her in a reassuring tone.

"Maybe, I hope he does..I don't want him to die..Caroline." Elena confessed, running her hands through her hair as she leaned back into her seat, hanging up the cell phone in her hands as she got up and took a deep breath before walking back into his hospital room.

Elena slowly walked back, not glancing up at the monitors that were beeping, instead listening to a voicemail that was left to her by Damon, telling her that he would be back soon, this time around with Katherine.

Elena was nearly half way into the room. Her back turned away from Stefan's bed, when she heard it, the soft and quiet murmur of his voice. "Water..." He mumbled, pointing to the red colored jug that sat next to his bedside. Elena turned around slowly, blinking tears away as she locked her eyes on his.

"Stefan.." She said, his name rolling off her lips in disbelief as she stepped closer towards the bed, noticing that he was pointing to the jug of water. Elena grabbed the cup in front of her as she poured him a small cup and placed a straw in it, her eyes filling with tears and her hands shaking when she placed the straw near his chapped lips.

"I'm going to go call a nurse...your doctor's. They need to know that you are finally awake!"  
Elena commented, watching as Stefan placed his hand on hers, signaling for her to take the water away from him.

She watched as Stefan swallowed, his eyes blinking a few times as he adjusted his sensitive eyes to the lights above him in the room. Elena said nothing as she watched him struggle to be a little bit more alert as he shifted his body up right and groaned out in pain.

"Let me go call a nurse..They need to make sure that your okay, to check your vitals and stuff." Elena told him, placing her hand on his, watching as a flash of anger rushed passed his face and he locked his eyes on her, clearing is throat before he spoke in a soft and broken tone.

"Go get the nurses and doctors..you're right..they need to know that I'm awake." Stefan agreed, sounding exhausted and still a bit dazed from his ordeal.

Elena smiled widely, leaning forward and kissing his cheek softly, whispering as she got back up and smiled. "I love you, Stefan."

She watched him blink, his face almost contorting with pain as he looked at her. "I don't want you to come back into my room once the doctors and nurses come in here to check me out..I want you gone." Stefan told her, watching tears start to spill over her eyelids as Elena shook her head.

"No. Stefan, please..I'm sorry...I am so sorry, I love you..I never meant to hurt-" She began to say, straightening out her shirt as she looked down at him.

Stefan blinked, a serious look on his face, one of pain as he lifted up his hand and watched when Elena stopped talking. "You are the reason, I'm here...I hate you and I can't stand to look at you, any longer. Leave!" Stefan shouted at her, watching as she slouched her shoulders, wiping away her tears and covering her mouth with her hand as she shook her head in understanding...He hated her, blamed her for his accident and now, it was clear...Elena was the cause of him being in this state, in so much pain and looking at him, his eyes open, tears streaming down then when he spoke to her, she hated herself for what she had done to him.

* * *

** A/N: So what do you all think about Stefan and Damon's parents? Hate them as much as I do? They will be sticking around for a while..now that Stefan is finally awake... :') Let's just say that recovery and forgiveness will be going hand in hand for this turn of events. :)**

**Thanks for reading & Until Next Time!**

**Follow me on Twitter at: Green_Eyes1989**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey all! Here's CH.17! Hope you guys like it. Let's just say that recovery and healing will take a while. :) **

**Enjoy & Thanks for reading! **

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN-The Mysterious Ways Of Love **

It had been two weeks since she had seen him. Two weeks of the misery of her having to replay his words in her head..._Leave...I hate you..._

Elena didn't know what to feel. She hated that he felt that way about her. But then again, she hadn't really been giving him a reason to love her as of up to late. She stupidly left him for Daniel. Her ex-fiancé that she thought that she blindly loved...But, quickly realized that they had no future..that they could never be what they once were.

But it still didn't explain why she was now in the waiting room, texting with Damon about Stefan's progress without him even knowing that she was there.

_Damon: They say that it's going to be a long time until he can get back to his little dancing studio..His hips are out of place and when he crashed he really screwed his legs up and they said that it could take a long time to repair the damage that was done._

Elena stared blankly at the text message.._take a long time to repair the damage that was done. _Of course it would, Stefan was now hurting both physically and mentally because of her and as far as she was concerned Elena deserved every ounce of pain that was thrown at her.

She quickly texted Damon a message back. Telling him that she was going to go back home to her almost empty apartment and finally start to unpack her things that had been sitting in boxes for the last six months.

Elena got up and fumbled with her keys, walking into the hallway and not really paying any attention as to who she was walking in front of. But, she stopped when she looked up and smiled widely. There she was, Caroline Forbes-Lockwood. Her best friend..finally in New York.

"Oh My God! Elena, what are you doing here?" Caroline shrieked, embracing her as tightly as she could, almost to the point where Elena couldn't really breathe.

Elena let out a small laugh as she hugged her back and then after a few minutes. She stepped away, glancing up and down at her.

"God, Caroline. You look amazing! You look totally beautiful..The pregnancy and Tyler must be treating you really well!" Elena commented, taking a step back even more to watch as Caroline spun around in her light pink dress.

"Thank You! So, you never answered my question..What are you doing here?" Caroline asked, looking past Elena and wanting to say more. But her answer was quickly revealed when she locked her gaze upon Damon and Stefan. Damon was pushing Stefan in a wheelchair, down the hall, coming directly towards the best friends that had their small reunion in the hallway as well.

"Oh..Well, I guess. You don't need to answer that!" Caroline exclaimed, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ears as she locked her eyes on Elena who was in panic, grabbing Caroline's wrist and pulling her back into the waiting room with her as she too saw them, slowly making their way down the long hallway.

"What the-" Caroline said, watching as Elena put her hand over her mouth, Caroline's eyes growing wide as Elena told her to be quiet. Looking around and noticing that people were all staring at them.

"I don't want him to see me...He's pissed off at me for leaving with Daniel and I tried to apologize, tried to call him. But, he wants nothing to do with me at the moment and to be honest, part of me doesn't blame him." Elena explained, watching as Caroline gave her a confused look.

"Honey, have you tried talking to him since he's woken up, like face to face?" Caroline asked, sitting down in one of the waiting room chairs, locking her blue eyes on Elena.

"Um...Not since he told me that he hated me a few weeks ago in his room...Caroline, he looked so hurt and I- I..guess..I just gave up." Elena confessed. Watching as Caroline rubbed her face with her hands and exhaled an irritated breath.

"For the love of god! Elena..Stop being such a baby and go talk to him!" Caroline urged, getting up from her chair and pulling Elena by her arm, sending the brunette almost flying into a bunch of empty chairs that were in front of her.

"Geeze! Who would have thought that such a little feisty pregnant girl would be able to pull me up, like a freaking wrestling champ!" Elena said, smiling as she straighten out her outfit out and gave Caroline a wink, turning on her heels and giving Caroline one last glance.

"Oh, shut up and just go talk to him..Before him and Damon, leave..GO!" Caroline told her, shoving her out of the waiting room, right in front of Damon and Stefan who were just about to turn the corner and leave the hall.

* * *

"Wait!" Elena yelled. Watching nervously as Damon turned around, his hands still firmly placed on the wheelchair handle bars as he looked up at her.

"Elena..nice to see you here, what a small world." Damon told her, rolling his eyes at her as she shrugged her shoulders, slowly walking over to them.

"I'm sorry, I was..uh..In the neighborhood and I had a checkup, at the eye doctors. And, randomly ran into you guys, how strange! So, how are you, both ?" Elena asked in a soft and quiet tone as Damon gave her a knowing look, stepping away from Stefan's wheel chair.

"We're good..Walk with us?" Damon said, watching as Elena nodded, stepping to the side of Stefan's wheelchair and nodding at him, telling him a quick 'hello' before they began walking. She smiled softly when he replied back with just the same soft tone. But her smile quickly faded when he didn't say much else and looked up at Damon who patted the top of his head.

"Oh wow..Well, I..I suddenly have an urge for some coffee..Elena, do you mind walking around with Stefan for a while? I'll be back soon." Damon told her, patting his brother's shoulder and smiling. But just as Stefan was about to protest, Damon had already excused himself, slowly walking down the hall and leaving the two of them alone in the middle of the almost empty hallway of the large rehabilitation hospital wing.

* * *

"I tried calling you..a few times..you never called me back." Elena stated softly. Listening as

Stefan scuffed at her words and then turned his head to look up at her, hurt still evident in his green gently gaze.

"I know..Elena..I'm sorry what I told you..I don't hate you. But, I just don't see us being able to repair this. You made your choice when you left with Daniel, 6 months ago and that was it. You made it clear to me that you didn't love me, that what we had was just a stupid fling. I can't..do this now. Not with you, not anymore..I'm sorry." He told her in a broken tone, watching her turn his wheel chair around, stopping by a window that looked out into a garden.

"Please, let me make it up to you..Stefan, you can't tell me that what we had 6 months ago was just a fling..I loved you and I know that deep down, through all of your hate...somewhere within your heart, you loved me too. I know it, because I could feel it when I was around you..So don't tell me that I made my choice because you and I know that, that's the biggest bullshit ever! I stayed with you, for the last 6 months, never leaving your side, waiting for you to wake up..I've been fighting to keep you with me, this whole time! I know that you hate me now..But, I just hope that soon...that overtime..you'll forgive me and we can start again..a clean slate, because I love you and I'll be damned if I allow you to push me away that easily! Let me make it crystal clear right now...I am not leaving or letting you go, without a fight." Elena told him, placing her hands on his shoulders and leaning down to kiss his cheeks, before she got up and they began walking down the hall again, in total silence.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry that it's kind of short. But, hopefully the next update will be longer and it will include a lot more SE :) Since, Elena isn't giving up without a fight! **

**Follow me on Twitter: Green_Eyes1989**

**-Until Next Time-**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hey all! So, Here's CH.18! Hope you all like it. :) **

**Thanks for reading & enjoy! **

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN-The Mysterious Ways Of Love **

Elena had been watching him. Flipping through a fashion magazine in her lap as she looked up at Stefan who was slowly getting to his feet, groaning as he finally stood up straight.

"Please, tell me what your still doing here?" Stefan asked, irritation in his tone as he locked his eyes on her, watching her roll her eyes at him, before she even responded.

"Well, when I said that I wasn't giving up on you. This is exactly what I meant. So, whether you like or not. I'm here. At every single appointment, until you don't need me as your personal cheerleader." She replied, watching as the physical therapist came around to Stefan and helped him move forward with the walker that he was holding onto.

"Personal cheerleader? That's cute! Why don't you go and get me some coffee or something..Because looking at you sitting in that min skirt is making me hungry and it's distracting." Stefan commented, smirking at her as he watched Elena roll her eyes at him.

"Maybe if you walk over here. I will." She told him in a challenging tone, glancing up at the physical therapist.

"You want me to talk over to you? It's like a few feet away." Stefan began to argue, swatting away the hands of the big burly guy who was helping him walk.

"Miss Gilbert...I'm sorry to butt into your conversation. But, he's not allowed to walk without a walker or help..So, I don't think that's possible." He told Elena, watching as she smiled widely.

"Oh, come on! He's been doing physical therapy with you for weeks now. He's just scared! He's becoming too dependent on you and too scared of what I know he's capable of!" Elena argued, getting up and standing just a few feet away from Stefan, holding out her hands directly towards him. A challenging smile on her face as she locked her dark brown eyes with his green ones.

"I'm not scared!" Stefan countered, agitation now present in his voice as he looked over at the therapist and then back at Elena. Once again, pushing himself forward with the help of the therapist and then he stopped in mid stride, nearly losing his balance.

"Come on..If you walk over to me without...Scott's help. I'll buy us lunch at that Italian restaurant that you wanted to have sex with me at, in the bathroom..maybe we can even try it out..too." Elena bargained, a wide grin forming on her face as she heard the therapist Scott, clear his throat.

"Miss..Your being very inappropriate..We have other patients around here." Scott told her in a hushed tone as he gave Elena a stern look.

"Whatever will get him to walk his nice little ass over to me." Elena replied with a wink, straightening herself out and smiling as she looked up at Stefan.

"Fine. Let go Scott!" Stefan exclaimed, feeling for the parallel bars and then locking his gaze on Elena who stood in front of him, a sweet smile on her face. But, determination in her eyes.

"Mr. Salvatore..I can't do that." Scott tried to say, watching as Elena rolled her eyes again, exhaling deeply.

"Stop babying him! He can walk if he wants too...Believe me! Just let him try it and if he falls, I'll be here to catch him. Every step of the way." Elena told them both in a reassuring tone as she outstretched her arms and gave them one more sweet smile, watching closely when Stefan pushed Scott away from him and began to slowly walk towards her.

* * *

"You said that in front of his therapist?" Bonnie nearly yelled, sitting down on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in her hands as she handed it to Elena and heard the brunette let out a loud laugh.

"Hell yes I did..Look, Bonnie. Whatever gets him to stop hating me and walking again. Whatever it takes to get him out of that damn wheelchair and living his life again. I'm all for it." Elena commented, throwing a piece of popcorn in her mouth and leaning back into the cushions of the couch.

"But, Honey. He hates you..Still." A voice said, coming from the doorway of the kitchen as they both looked up and saw the blonde staring at them both with a smile on her face and a shrug of her shoulders.

"Yes, he does..Caroline! But, from what I've learned in life. Love and hate have a very thin line between them." Elena told her, getting up right alongside Bonnie as they both gave Caroline tight hugs.

"Care, what are you even doing here?" Bonnie asked, watching as Caroline smiled and backed away from their embrace.

"Well, Tyler just picked up Jeremy for them to go house hunting and I decided to visit with you two for a while. So, what's the topic of decision today...from the sounds of it. It looks like Ste-" Caroline began to say, watching as Elena sat back down and patted an open seat next to her.

"Of course, it's Stefan..It is always, Stefan! One minute he loves her and the next minute it's like an explosion of hate..It's making my head hurt a lot to be honest." Bonnie commented, handing Caroline a bottled water as she smiled up at her best friend.

"So, did you use all the little incentives that I told you to use, Elena?" Caroline asked, a grin forming on her face as she felt Bonnie's eyes on her.

"You were the one who told her to motivate him with sex? How is that going to work, when he hates her at the moment..Caroline?" Bonnie asked, curiosity in her tone as she looked over at Elena who was mindlessly playing with her hair.

"Earth to Elena! I would love some commentary from you right now. So, the deal was for every time he made progress...you would help him 'feel again' ?" Bonnie asked with a loud laugh, watching as Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Uhh...Yeah. Something like that. Look, I tried and the therapist almost took me up on the offer because Stefan wasn't very amused by me being so forward." Elena commented, hearing as both Bonnie and Caroline scuffed at her words.

"Seriously!" Caroline nearly shouted, watching as Elena nodded her head.

"Yes. I mean, I ended up dropping him off and he was like 'uh, Elena..I don't want you at my sessions anymore." Elena told them both in a mocking tone.

She laughed a bit as she thought about the way he went into the house, so pissed off at what she had done at his session. Elena ran her hands through her hair as she glanced over at Caroline who laughed a bit and then suddenly got up, pulling Bonnie right along with her.

"What the hell are you two doing? Where are you going?" Elena asked in a surprised tone, watching as they gave her a knowing look.

"No..No! Please, Caroline..Don't make it worse for me!" She told them, watching as Bonnie placed her hands on her shoulders, locking her eyes on her.

"Caroline's right. Someone needs to talk to Stefan about you and him..And, well..It shouldn't be you at the moment. We've got this..Be right back!" Caroline shouted, watching as Elena sat back down on the couch, covering her face with hands and exhaling deeply at the thought of what Caroline and Bonnie were going to say and even worse..do.

* * *

He had been sitting in the living room, watching a rerun of a basketball game when he heard the rapid knocking at the door. Stefan slowly wobbled over to his wheelchair, sitting in it securely as he rolled over to the front door, bending forward to unlock the door.

He exhale deeply as he opened the door and just when he was about to tell Elena to not come back and that he was just fine. He was met with a pair of very familiar and angry looking eyes.

"Great! Now, she sends the two of you to do her dirty work. What do you want..Bonnie? Caroline, I assume?" Stefan commented, watching as the blonde nodded and smiled gleefully.

"Oh, Good! You know who I am. Well, Now that we got that out of the way. We want to talk." Caroline commented, placing her hands on her hips and looking down at Stefan who was just about to close the door on them. But, Bonnie's quick motion stopped him as she leaned towards the front door and glanced down at him. "Please." Bonnie begged, hearing as Stefan inhaled a sharp intake of breath.

"About what? Why are you two here, bothering me?" Stefan asked, annoyance in his tone.

"I think you know why we're here..I can give you one guess as to why we want to talk and her names is.." Caroline began to say, her voice trailing off when she watched Stefan close his eyes briefly, leaning back into his wheelchair as he spoke out her name. "Elena."

* * *

**A/N: Hmm...So what do you all think these three will chat about regarding Elena? ;) **

**-Until Next Time-**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates: Green_Eyes1989**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hey All! Sorry it's taken me so long to update this story. But, here's CH.19! Enjoy & Thanks for reading!**

**Please let me know what you all think and also follow me on twitter for updates at: Green_Eyes1989 **

* * *

**CHAPTER NINETEEN-The Mysterious Ways Of Love- **

"What, did Elena send you over here?" Stefan asked them, watching as Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, staring down at him.

"Actually, she didn't want us to come here at all, really. But, we insisted. Look, I know that this physical therapy thing is really hard on you. But, Stefan..Elena's just trying to help. So, speaking of help..She wants you to move in with her at her new place. It's just a few miles away from here. But, it's closer to the hospital and it would make the commute easier for the both of you. I-" Bonnie began to explain, hearing as Stefan exhaled and wheeled himself over to the couch.

"She wants me to move in with her...at her new place? Bonnie, just tell her that I'm fine where I'm at." Stefan told her, watching as Caroline ran her hands through her hair and sat down close to him on the couch.

"She loves you, Stefan! She just wants you to get better. I don't get it..I really don't. If I had someone who loved me as much as Elena loves you, then I'd be working my ass off to get better. Not just for that person, but for myself too. Why don't you think about that for a while? Hmm?" Caroline told him in an almost scolding tone as she got up and glanced over at Bonnie.

"He clearly is fine by himself..But, I really do think that you're making a mistake. Stefan, stop feeling sorry for yourself and live! Get out there and live. Because if you don't do that and get better soon..Elena will slip through your finger tips and she'll move on and you'll be alone." Caroline told him, turning away from him and grabbing the door handle to leave.

"It's not that easy!" Stefan shouted at her, hearing as the blonde scuffed at his words.

"It's not easy? Well, try harder!" She told him, turning on her heels and motioning for Bonnie to leave as well.

Bonnie glanced over from Stefan to Caroline, giving them both a saddened look before getting up and following Caroline out of the door. But, not before turning to give Stefan a once over and leaving him with some encouraging words. "All you can do is try, Stefan. You just need to try and I know that things will get better with time, I can promise you that. But, you really need to put the effort it. I'm sorry about Caroline..I really am. She just care's about Elena and this hasn't been very easy for her either, I guess maybe that's why she would want you to move in with her...So, that she can help you out and that you two can fix this."

Stefan nodded, looking down at his feet and then bringing up his face to look over at Bonnie again, locking his eyes on her as he spoke. "Bonnie, I know...I'll try. But, Elena needs to understand that this is going to take time and that she needs to be patient with me. Please, tell her that I'm sorry and let her know that I'm thinking about her." Stefan told her, watching as Bonnie nodded and then smiled at him, before leaving the apartment.

* * *

"You're an idiot!" Bonnie told her, sitting down on the couch in the lobby and locking her eyes on Elena as she gawked at her in confusion. "What?" Elena asked, lifting her eye brows at Bonnie and giving her a totally confused look.

"He still loves you, Elena! He just needs time. Look, Go talk to him..Just stop sitting here and avoiding him. The therapy session may have not gone the way that you wanted it to go. But, he needs you, he needs you by his side. He doesn't hate you, Elena...He really doesn't..He's just hurt because of the whole Daniel thing and now because of the accident. He's really confused with everything." Bonnie told her, hearing as Caroline let out a laugh and shook her head.

"I might have been a bitch to him..Tell him that I'm sorry. Because, she's right you know, Stefan does love you, Elena. And, you do need to go talk to him, face to face. Forget about him being pissed off because to be honest, he's just as damn stubborn as you are and he has a reason to be pissed off, the accident messed him up, took a lot of things away from him..That he just wants back. Maybe you can crack this freaking ice berg between the two of you and fix whatever wedge is going on!" Caroline told her, hearing as they both laughed, watching as Elena nodded at her, getting up from her spot on the couch.

"Okay, I'll talk to him...I miss him, anyways." Elena told them, pulling down her black shirt as she pulled her hair to one side and made her way out the door, yelling over her shoulder a quick "Thank You" before going over to the apartment to see Stefan.

* * *

"They talked you into this, didn't they?" He asked her, watching as she sat nervously cracking her knuckles.

"No. Look, Stefan. I know that you're mad at me for doing what I did to you and I'm sorry, I just don't want us to push each other away. I miss you and I love you so much..I was scared that I would lose you. But, I didn't, because here you are..You're alive and you're okay." Elena told him, watching as Stefan rolled his shoulders back and looked up at her, a distant look on his face as he spoke.

" Okay, Ha..That's funny, I'm in a wheelchair with broken bones, I don't really classify that as okay. You hurt me, Elena. But, these past few weeks have made me realize that you're trying as hard as I am to get forgiveness..I love you and I don't want to push you away from me. But, I just- I'm struggling with this whole thing, with being in this damn wheelchair for the next few months until I'm all healed up. Not being able to do what I love, not being able to be around the people that I love, especially you, because I hate having you see me like this! I've missed you so damn much, But the way that you look at me..It's like you feel sorry for what happened to me. And, you shouldn't, I made a stupid choice and I went out that night, I was mad at you. Yeah, I'll admit it. I was really damn pissed off for you leaving the way that you did. So, the only person I can blame is myself for not-" Stefan began to say, feeling Elena place her hand onto his and squeeze it.

"Don't you dare say it! I know what you're going to say.. for not loving me enough and that's why I left with Daniel. But, you would be lying...You loved me enough, I was just confused and lost! I can't ever say that you didn't. Stefan, things all happen for a reason and as much as I hate what's happened to you..It can be fixed with patience and time. I promise you. I'm sorry I was so hard on you a few days ago. But, I just...I want you to live, Stefan. I don't want you to give up on yourself, because I know that this isn't who you are and what you want out of life!" Elena exclaimed, watching as he nodded at her, tears in his eyes when he watched her get up and move to kneel down in front of him.

"I'm sorry okay. But, I need you and I know that even if you hate to admit it. You need me too. It's the only way we're going to make it..If we stick together, even when it sucks and it's hard to cope." Elena told him, lifting up her hand and caressing his cheek as Stefan closes his eyes to her touch and exhaled deeply.

"I know, I need you too. So, that's why I've thought about it and I've decided that I want to do it..I want to move in with you. We'll get through this together, it'll be easier. Plus, once I'm out of the wheelchair. I can finally teach you those dance moves that I've been meaning to show you..There's a competition in four months and I'm hoping that if I work hard enough to get better, then I'll be able to take you to it. Maybe we'll even win or we can at least dance a few times, together." Stefan commented, watching Elena lean towards him, tears in her eyes as she nodded, leaning into Stefan and wrapping her arms around him.

"Okay. Okay, we'll move in together and I promise you that I'll be there to catch you every single step of the way, even when you feel like you want to give up. I'll be there, because I love you Stefan and I would do anything to see you feel better. And, I'll be patient, however long it takes, I'll wait." Elena told him, backing away from him and locking her eyes on his glistening and flirtatious gaze.

"Anything..huh?" Stefan asked her in a surprised tone.

"Oh, Ha..Did I say anything? Almost anything." Elena said with a wink, watching Stefan smile at her, a laugh escaping his throat.

"Well, does it involve therapy of any kind? Because, you know..I could use some..very intense physically therapy, by you." Stefan told her, watching as Elena shook her head, smiling at him with a grin on her face.

"Uh, yeah..It does. It's called something like coma arousal therapy, But, it's only supposed to be for coma patients though. But, I'm sure we could modify it, to your needs." She told him with a smirk, hearing Stefan let out a staggered breath.

"I'm not crippled, Elena. I just have a few broken bones that will heal, eventually . But...I love the sound of that! Let's go!" Stefan said, wheeling himself over to where Elena was standing, grabbing her hand into his and looking up at her.

"Where?" Elena asked him in confusion, her thumb rubbing against his as he smiled at her.

"To the new place to start this treatment..Maybe, I'll heal quicker." He told her with a wink, wheeling himself to the door, opening it wide open and turning around to look over at Elena with a smile. "Come on, now..It won't work very well if I'm doing this alone!"

* * *

**A/N: Stefan and Elena moving in together in her apartment so that she can help Stefan 'heal'..This should be interesting! :D **

**-Until Next Time-**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hey all! So, this update is a little short. But, I kind of left it where I did so that I could speed up the story and get things where I want them to be :)**

**Thanks for reading & I hope you all enjoy! Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Green_Eyes1989**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-The Mysterious Ways Of Love- **

"This was not what I had in mind when you said, 'treatment'." Stefan told her, watching as Elena filled the porcelain tub full of warm water, and smiled at him, leaning over as she placed her hand into the water and checked the temperature of it.

"Well, I was thinking that we could loosen you up first." Elena told him with a smile, hearing as Stefan let out a laugh and then a cough.

"You..What? Like a sponge bath?" He asked her, watching as Elena smiled widely, glancing over at him and spoke in a soft tone. " I read it in an article. It says that warm baths help loosen up your joints and it helps put less pressure on them and reduces the pain too."

"Aha, when did you read this?" Stefan asked her, watching Elena narrow her eyes at him, staring down at his t-shirt.

"I..Uh...I read it a few weeks ago...Look, Stefan. I want to help you the best that I know how." Elena told him in a truthful tone, hearing as Stefan let out a laugh.

"What? With sex therapy. Elena, I would be all for it..If I wasn't in so much pain." Stefan told her, trying to get closer towards her to grab her hand into his, watching when Elena extended it towards him, rubbing her thumbs across his hand.

"I know." She told him in a saddened tone, hearing as Stefan exhaled out a deep breath.

"Oh come on. You know that once I get better, We won't be able to stay away from each other..I love you, Elena and it really does mean a lot to me that you made these arrangements for me to move in with you, until I heal up. I just, I can't risk getting even more hurt than I am now." Stefan said, watching Elena nod at him, her disappointed facial expression fading as her eyes lit up and she smiled.

"Okay, fine...We have an agreement. But, good luck with that one." Elena told him with a wink, slowly slipping out of her bathrobe, getting up from the edge of the bathtub, glancing over at Stefan with a smug smile on her face as she stepped into the warm water and slide inside the tub.

"What the hell? I thought you said-" Stefan commented, hearing Elena's laughter fill the room.

"Oh, about that..I was just hoping that you'd get out of the chair..an incentive to get up and work a little harder." Elena told him with a wink, hearing as Stefan scuffed at her words.

"You're mean! You are a mean woman!" Stefan replied in a playful tone, getting closer towards the tub that Elena was in, his hands grazing against the bubbles that were nearly spilling over.

"I'm just clever. You see. I talk about sex and suddenly you would have gotten up from the wheelchair. Come on, Stefan..It almost worked and soon it will!" Elena told him with a laugh, watching as he lifted up his hand, covered in the white bubbly foam and blew it at her, hearing when she screamed and swatted them away.

"Almost. Have a nice bath..alone." Stefan told her with a wide smile, turning around and wheeling himself out of the bathroom without another word.

* * *

The weeks seemed to go by quicker than usually and Elena was at almost every single one of Stefan's physically therapy sessions. She was encouraging him. But, also making sure that he wouldn't push himself too much.

Elena sat in the waiting room nervously, texting Bonnie that things were going better than expected and that Stefan was actually loving their new place together. But, Elena also confessed one of her biggest fears to Bonnie. The fear of setbacks and the fact that if Stefan started to get down on himself again that she would find it hard to not be way more encouraging. Because, really all Elena wanted was for Stefan to be better and have him walking again without the wheelchair's assistance.

She seemed to be to lost in her own thoughts and in texting Bonnie back, that she jumped when she heard the doctor walk into the waiting room, a chart in his hands when he sat down across from Elena and smiled at her.

"You know, we usually don't discuss this type of confidential information with our patient's girlfriends. But, you've been to nearly every single one of Stefan's sessions and I feel like you should be the first to know. I'm taking him out of the wheel chair and switching him to a cane for a little while, until he can establish himself on his feet again. He still may need surgery to fix some of the damage in his hips and pelvic area. But, his primary doctor took x-rays and he seems to be healing very nicely. So, I think that he'll need the walking device for a short period of time and then he'll be able to walk on his own again." The doctor explained as he looked away from his chart and up at Elena's stunned facial expression.

"But, I thought you said that he'd be in the wheel chair for months and that he needed to walk around more." Elena commented, tears in her eyes as she watched the doctor shake his head.

"Miss Gilbert. Stefan walked today. I mean, not for the first time since the accident. But, he was really determined to do more work today than ever and he did a few short and slow laps around the room. It's progress and he didn't need the wheel chair once. So, whatever you may have said to him. Keep it up, because suddenly he's very determined to get out of that confining wheel chair and walk by himself again." He commented, getting up from his seat with a smile and watching as Elena leaned forward and grabbed his arm.

"Wait, so Stefan doesn't know that you've decided this yet?" She asked, confusion in her eyes when she looked up at the doctor and he nodded.

"Well, I was hoping to give you both a few minutes alone. So that you can see for yourself as far as his progress goes and then maybe once he walked over to you, with your help of course. Then, maybe, you could tell him the great news!" He told her, leaving her with that thought stuck in her head as Elena grabbed her purse and rushed out of the waiting room behind him, following him towards the direction of the therapy area to tell Stefan the news.

* * *

"We're alone." Stefan commented, wheeling over to Elena and placing a kiss on her cheek as she smiled at him, caressing the side of his face with her finger tips.

"Aha. So, you must have been listening to my speech that I gave you a few weeks ago. I mean, the doctor was saying that you won't be needing that wheel chair ever again and well-" She began to explain, hearing as Stefan let out a laugh.

"Yeah, I know." Stefan told her, watching as she looked up at him and he slowly started to get up on his now shaky legs. Elena's mouth hung open as she got up from her seat and slowly held onto Stefan's arms so he wouldn't fall.

"See, baby. Slowly getting back to normal. Now, how about you and I get the hell out of here." Stefan commented with a wink, a smile forming on his lips as Elena locked her eyes on his, looking down at his legs that were firmly planted on the ground, the wheelchair a few inches away from him.

"But, I thought that your therapist said that he wanted me to tell-" Elena began to say as Stefan cut her off, letting go of his hold around Elena's arms and placing one of his fingers onto her lips, silencing her instantly.

"Yeah..He did. But, I told him to do that, so that you and I could be alone and so that I could kiss you without him staring at me." He told her, a glistening in his eyes when he locked them on her, brushing back a few strands of her fallen hair, caressing her cheeks gently and whispering against her ear.

"I have missed you, so much. Let me thank you for being here for me. I love you, Elena." Stefan told her, his voice cracking at his own words.

Elena smiled with a tearful glance in his direction, placing one hand on his face and gently stroking his cheek when she leaned into him. "I've missed you, too. Baby, more than you will ever know." Elena told him, leaning in and capturing Stefan's lips against hers in a passionate kiss.

* * *

** A/N: YEY! So Stefan is out of the wheel chair..I know it may have seemed kind of quick. But, I really didn't want to keep him in it forever and I wanted to get the story moving along. But, he will still have obstacles to face with himself and with Elena. **

**-Until Next Time!-**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hey all! So sorry that it's taken me forever to update this story! I promise that I'll try to update a bit more frequently from now on :) Anyways, Here's CH.21! Hope you all like it and thanks for reading! **

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Be_Passionate24 **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE-The Mysterious Ways Of Love-**

The weeks seemed to go by quickly as Stefan started to adjust to walking without the assistance of the wheelchair. It was a weird sensation knowing that he was healing and the doctor had even told him that he could slowly start to incorporate his regular exercise of running and jogging back into his daily routine. So, that's what he had been doing the last two days..Slowly getting back into the swing of things. But, of course Elena suggested that she go with him just to make sure that he wasn't over doing it.

"You know, he said slowly getting back into the swing of things..Not full speed!" She commented, jogging beside him as Stefan stopped to look over at her, taking in the beautiful view of the city sky scrapers behind her head.

"Wow, I never really realized what a beautiful place this is..." His voice trailed off, as Elena smiled at him, walking over to a bench and sitting down, turning around to look over at him, waving her hand so that he would sit down next to her.

"Yeah, it really is. Stefan...I'm sorry about the whole thing with Daniel. I was foolish to think that I could be with him and I know that I'm a huge reason why you had your accident that night. Damon told me that you said that you were pissed off at me for the way that I left. I'm sorry for putting you in the coma and for ever leaving your side. I-" She began to say as Stefan leaned into her, brushing a strand of her hair back with his finger tips and gazing into her eyes as he spoke.

"You can stop apologizing now. Elena, it's been more than 6 months since the accident and I'm okay..I'm right here and I'm alive. We're okay. You and I are just fine and I don't blame you for that night..I was being stupid and irrational. I mean, yes..I was furious with you for leaving. But, I had a feeling that you'd come back..I'm kind of irresistible that way." He commented jokingly, winking at her as Elena pushing onto his shoulder and laughed.

"Oh yeah..and you're full of yourself too! But, I still love you anyway. Look, I just wanted to make sure that you were okay with this..I mean, being away from everyone is hard and I know that you miss your brother and so..." She commented, her voice trailing and watching as she locked her eyes on him.

"And...?" Stefan asked, trying to get to the point of what Elena was clearly struggling to say.

"I was thinking that we could throw a dinner party and invite everyone. As a celebration..I guess..You know, since you're doing better and you haven't seen any of them in a few weeks. Plus, I could even invite Caroline and her husband, Tyler. You'd like him." Elena said, watching as Stefan nodded, brushing a strand of Elena's hair out of her face.

"That is one of the best idea's that you've had in a long time. I would love that and I'm sure everyone would love it too. I personally know that Bonnie misses you like crazy. She's been texting me and telling me that you and her need to go out. Elena, I'm getting better and stronger, you don't need to be glued to me every minute. I love you for it. But, seriously..go out and do something for yourself. I'm even sure that your friend Caroline would love to hang out with you..Just the girls." Stefan suggested, hearing as Elena laughed.

"Okay. I'm sorry that I've been glued to your side. But, I worry about you and I just don't want anything to happen to you. Stefan, you're very important to me and I already know what it feels like to almost lose you. I don't ever want that to happen again, or to feel that way again." She told him, leaning into his touch as he continued to run his hands through her hair and she smiled at him.

"I know. But, your kind of suffocating me, just a little. I guess what I'm trying to say is that since I'm healing and feeling a lot more normal that I just...I need you with me. But, you don't need to worry. I want you with me as my girlfriend, who I can take out and she doesn't stress over the silly things, like me running too fast or over exerting myself. Elena, you don't need to worry about me anymore. Okay. I'm fine and I am not going anywhere. Besides, the only way that I would be going anywhere is if you physically removed me out of your life. Which, I personally don't see that happening anytime soon." Stefan told her, slowly getting up from the bench that they were sitting on, extending his hands out towards her as she gave him a bashful smile.

"Okay. I'll stop and I'll just be your silly and carefree girlfriend. Besides, I need to loosen up, if we're going to be competing in that dance competition in less than four months now. So, you and I will have a lot of work to do." She told him, pulling herself off the bench and embracing Stefan tightly as he stood in front of her.

"Do you really think that we'll be able to compete..I mean, we haven't been in that dance studio together since Daniel showed up and screwed everything up for us." Stefan commented, watching as Elena bit down on her bottom lip and shrugged her shoulders, leaning into him as she whispered against his ear.

"Baby, we don't need that studio..We have that Cuban night club...remember..You never taught me everything you know. I'm still..waiting. Just a few more moves...And, I'll be all yours." Elena said in a taunting tone as she pushed herself away from Stefan and he smiled at her.

"Oh, you think that that's going to work with me teaching you anything..That place was like a sweaty hot box full of sex and all I'm going to be thinking about is you and well..you know." Stefan told her, smirking when Elena turned back towards him and laughed.

"Oh, no it wasn't. It was the perfect place to feel the music..Don't you remember Stefan. You said that you wanted to make sure that I was feeling the music. Because, that's what it's all about, feeling. Touch. Skin on skin. Contact. Pleasure...fulfilling your desires on the dance floor. So, I beg to differ. The Cuban night club is where you and I will be practicing this weekend after our little dinner party tonight. Plus, If you do end up getting sore enough, I can always give you some therapy." Elena told him with a wink, backing away from him with a wicked smile and a twinkle in her brown eyes. Stefan swallowed hard as he heard Elena giggle, turning away from him and slowly regaining her jogging pace.

* * *

"So, you still want to do this competition that's in almost 3 months. But, the doctor just let you out of the wheelchair almost 3 weeks ago..Stefan..What the hell is wrong with you?" Damon said, placing his beer glass down and staring back at his younger brother in astonishment.

"Come on, Damon. If he wants to do it.. He'll be in perfect shape by the time that the competition begins." Katherine said, placing her napkin from the dining table onto her lap.

"Elena, what do you think about my brother's crazy attempt at trying to get better faster?" Damon asked, his eyes narrowed on Elena as she took a sip of her wine and nearly choked on it.

"uhh..Ha..Damon, I was the one who suggested that we try it. I figured that it would be a good way for him to exercise." Elena commented, watching as Damon's eyes grew wide and he threw down his napkin onto the empty plate, half full of uneaten food in front of him.

"You suggested it? Elena! He was in a coma for 6 months. He was in a wheelchair for a long time too and just a few weeks ago..He got out of it. Where the hell is your logic! Are you crazy? He could make one wrong move and be in that damn chair for the rest of his life!" Damon shouted at her, hearing as Caroline got up and exhaled deeply, opening her mouth to add more to the conversation. But, Tyler's hand on top of hers, stopped her from adding more fuel to the fire.

"I just want him to get back to the things that he loves! Is that so bad? Damon, you of all people should understand that. Look, we'll go slow and take it easy. But, if it ends up being too much then we'll stop. But, the one thing that I know is that Stefan really wants to compete." Elena said, sternness in her voice as she glared at Damon, watching him run his hands through his hair.

"Damon. Elena's right...I want to at least try it. I don't care if her and I win or not. I just want to prove to myself that I can still do what I love. Now, Elena and I will gradually train for it and on the days that she's at work. I'll go to my therapy sessions and take it easy. Then, we'll steadily increase the hours of practice." Stefan commented, hearing as Katherine sighed and looked over at him, nodding her head in understanding.

"He's right. Damon. He just wants to prove to himself that he's still capable of doing what he loves..There's nothing wrong with that. Especially if they take it easy and slowly. Stefan will be fine." Katherine said in a reassuring tone, locking her eyes on Elena and then back to Stefan as he gave her a weak smile.

"Fine. But, if you screw yourself up again and end up back in that wheelchair. I'll be there to remind you that you should have listened to me. I don't like this Stefan. But, if it's what you want do to. Then, fine..I guess the rest of us will just sit back and make sure that nothing goes wrong this time." Damon told him, excusing himself from the table and heading out to the balcony of the apartment.

* * *

"Will excuse me, for just one minute." Katherine said, smiling sheepishly at everyone before she went after Damon who was leaning against the railing to the balcony.

"What is wrong with you! Damon, your brother isn't a little kid anymore! He's a grown man that can make choices for himself. If he wants to do this stupid dance thing. Let him. And, if he gets hurt doing it..Be there for him. Just like you have been these last few months!" Katherine told him, her voice sounding a bit demanding as Damon pulled her into his embrace, kissing the top of her head, speaking against her hair.

" I just don't want to lose him again, Katherine. Those six months were hell for all of us. But, when my parents showed up and told me that they wanted to take him off life support. It made me realize that he's the only person in my life that has never given up on me and who's only wanted the best for me..I guess, what I'm trying to say is that I just want the best for him too. I just want him to be happy and be okay. He's the only brother I've got and I care about him." He said.

Katherine wrapped her arms around Damon tighter and smiled against his chest, exhaling deeply before she spoke, trying to collect her thoughts. "I know. I know you do and I'm 100% positive that Stefan wants what's best for you too. But, Damon...You can't worry about him all the time. Yes, you're his older brother and you love him. But, you need to support him too. Look, let's just let him prove to himself that he can do the competition and maybe we can even help him train for it.. On the days that Elena is at work and train with him, you and I can push him and maybe even teach him some new dance moves that we know." She suggested as she felt Damon tighten his grip around her and exhale deeply, nodding his head as he whispered softly in her hair. "Okay. Okay. We'll help him."

* * *

**A/N: Damon, Katherine, Stefan and Elena all working together to help Stefan train for this dance competition..Hm...Should be a cause for a little bit of drama on the dance floor ;)**

**-Until Next Time-**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hey all! I'm SO sorry that it's taking me forever to update again. But, with that being said...I've also decided that I will be bringing this story to a close soon. I'll be doing one more big chapter and an epilogue to wrap it all up. :)**

**Anyways, I hope you all like CH.22!**

**P.S. I SUCK at describing dance moves! LOL..So, I'm totally sorry about that! **

**Please Read & Review! Enjoy & Thanks so much for reading! **

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Be_Passionate24**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO- The Mysterious Ways Of Love **

The month passed by quickly and it seemed as if things were getting worse for their dancing routine before they were getting better...

"I can't do this!" Elena complained, watching as Stefan stepped in front of her, placing his hands on her hips and watching as she moved slowly to the beat that was playing.

"Yes, you can. If I can do this. So can you. We're 2 months away from this dance and it's going to be important that we're not stepping all over each other! Look, Elena. We've been working at this one small move for the last two days. Now, Remember. Look at my face and not my feet. Alright?" Stefan instructed her.

Elena gripped onto his hand tightly, positioning herself so that she was nearly toe to toe with him, standing up as straight as she could to look into his eyes as he moved their bodies to the music. "One. Step right. Two. Step left. Three. Step..Four. Step and..Spin." Stefan counted, letting go of her left hand and twirling her out so that when he brought her back into him closer, Elena's hand was on his chest, her feet where close together and their faces were just inches apart.

"Much better." He whispered against her ear, leaving a quick kiss against her neck as Elena giggled. "If you keep kissing me like that, we're never going to be getting anything done." She commented, watching as Stefan spun her back out suddenly, hearing a gasp escape her past her lips when Elena looked at him and he stepped over to be behind her, grazing her backside and trailing his hands up and down her body as she leaned into him and wrapped one of her legs around his waistline, slowly rubbing it down against his right leg.

"So, I was thinking that after we-" Stefan began to say. But, just as he was about to add more to his thoughts, Katherine and Damon walked into the room, hand in hand with huge gleeful smiles on their faces.

"Hello there love birds! We've come to show you how professionals do this little tango." Damon said, holding onto Katherine's hand and spinning her around him a few times. Stefan watched as Damon's hands slipped into Katherine's long brown curly hair and she stepped in front of him and trailed her body down his, her arms slowly falling down against his sides as she spun back towards him. Damon's face lit up when he placed his hand on her lower back, gently lowering her a bit and dipping her just enough so that Katherine could still lean in and touch his face with her hands.

"Oh. ." Elena said out loud in a surprised tone, watching as Damon and Katherine's steps matched exactly to the music that was playing. Her jaw nearly dropped when Damon picked Katherine up, her arms holding herself up onto his shoulders as he lowered her onto the ground, helping her up slowly so that she was once again in his wrapped in his arms.

"Now..It's your turn." Damon said, this prideful smile on his face as he leaned into Katherine, kissing her temple when she leaned into him and smiled, touching his face gently.

"Come on, guys. It's not that hard. You just need to feel the music. With any dance..The Salsa..The Tango..You just need to-" Katherine started to say, hearing as Elena laughed and glared over at Stefan, finishing the rest of Katherine's words. "Feel the music..I know."

Elena cleared her throat as she heard the music. It was a mixture of Cuban dance and Puerto Rican music. She felt as Stefan stepped toward her, leaning into her as he whispered against her ear. "It's just you and me. Ignore them...Remember like how it was at the club the other night. Just us." He reminded her, watching as Elena nodded and then stepped away a bit.

"Start it." Elena told Katherine who was now standing by the radio in the dance room.

Elena smiled as she stepped in front of him, placing her hands on his chest as she pushed away from him for a moment, spinning around, looking over her shoulder and placing her own hands onto her hips as she wrapped her arms around her waistline and slowly moved back and forth to the music.

Elena brought her hands up, just a little bit above her head when she pivoted on her heels and suddenly felt as Stefan's hands joined hers, bringing them down so that he could hold onto her hand, his hands firmly gripping her own when she leaned into him , lowering herself down his body, crouching down by his feet as Stefan spun her, taking a half step back as Elena brought herself back up to face him, her arms tightly wrapped around Stefan's neck when she tilted her head back and laughed.

Stefan took his hand, placing one of them against her chest as he trailed down, pulling her towards him by the waistband of her pants, watching as Elena smiled even more when she held onto his other hand, suddenly spinning her out so that she was just inches away from him.

"Come on..I know you want to come and get me." Elena taunted him, placing her fingers in his face and pointing at him as he took a step behind her, pulling her towards him with one quick motion and hearing when Elena let out a moaned out breath.

"Gotcha ya!" Stefan exclaimed, leaving a quick kiss against her cheek, listening as Elena's breathing increased and he touched her arms.

"I didn't know you could dance like that." She whispered, leaning her head back towards Stefan. Close enough so that Stefan could hear her over the music. Suddenly, Elena felt his hands move down her body, instantly making her arms move so that they were tracing the outline of Stefan's face, resting against her own shoulders.

" .Three." Stefan counted off, watching as Elena turned in his arms with one swift motion, their eyes locked on each other as he took a step, forcing Elena to take a step back, spinning her around him, his hands sliding down her backside. "Your hands are on my ass." She commented.

"Oh, are they? Good. I'll keep them there, then." Stefan said with a playful tone, pulling her towards him, so that there was barely any space between their bodies. Stefan placed his hands onto her hips firmly, watching as she arched her back and closed her eyes.

"One..Step..Two..Step..Three...Step." Elena whispered under her breath as she felt Stefan move their bodies to the music. Elena pivoted on her heels when she turned back around in Stefan's arms and she slide down him, spinning around once more and ending up crouched down by his feet, Stefan's hands on each side of her shoulders. Elena threw Katherine and Damon a wide grin as she spoke in a soft tone. "So, was that any good?"

"That was...Uh...That was great. So, uh..Lunch anyone?" Damon asked, a prideful smile on his face as he held out his to Katherine and smiled at both Elena and Stefan, looking as if he needed to go outside for air.

* * *

"So, the wedding is in like two months and I'm stressing out so much!" Katherine exclaimed, taking a sip of her water as she eyed Elena and shrugged her shoulders.

They had gone out to a nearby restaurant that Damon loved to go to and since it was getting closer and closer to Damon and Katherine's wedding day. Elena and Stefan sat quietly as they listened to Katherine say how she didn't have a maid of honor and how Damon was all set with his groomsman. But, once again Katherine was freaking out over all the details over her big day and the fact that one of the girls bailed on her!

"Oh my god! Do you want to do it? I know that it's kind of sudden and all, since our wedding is like two months away. But, it would mean everything to me if you wanted to be my maid of honor. We could go dress shopping together. Since, you're going to need to buy a dress for the competition too. We could totally go together and I could help you pick out both dresses for both of the big events. " Katherine explained, this twinkle in her brown eyes as she tapped her fingers against the table , glancing over at Stefan who was half way done eating his steak and salad but quickly stopped when he heard what Katherine was talking about.

"I think it would be a great idea. It would give you both the chance to bond and maybe you can tell Elena more about what to except when we do this dance competition." Stefan butted in suddenly, feeling as Elena gripped onto his kneecap under the table, squeezing tightly when he mentioned 'bonding' with Katherine.

"So, what do you say? Please..Elena. Be my maid of honor?" Katherine asked, pleading in her voice as she locked her eyes on Elena and watched with a wide grin on her face as Elena shook her head, shrugging her shoulders back when she spoke in a soft tone. "Sure, it's going to be great!"

* * *

"It's going to be great? What in god's name was I thinking when I agreed to become your ex-girlfriends maid of honor?" Elena complained, leaning her head back against the head rest in the car as Stefan drove them back to their apartment.

"Sweetie..You were thinking about doing it for a good cause. Look, Katherine isn't that bad and you might even learn something from her like a few good dance moves for the competition that we can incorporate into our routine." Stefan explained, leaning over and grabbing a hold of Elena's cold hands.

"Are you sure this is a good idea..You two used to date? What if she trash talks about you when we go and do our dress shopping in the afternoon after I get done with work?" Elena asked, turning to face Stefan and watching as his face fell a bit.

"She might. But, just keep the focus on the dresses and her wedding. Maybe you can even invite Bonnie and Caroline to come with you both if your nervous to just be around Katherine by yourself. Either way, it's going to be just fine." Stefan told her in a reassuring tone, hearing as Elena exhaled a breathe and quietly mumbled. "I hope so."

* * *

**A/N: Uh oh...Katherine and Elena shopping together..Let's hope they just stick to the dresses talk or that Elena brings Bonnie as a peace keeper. ;) **

**-Until Next Time!-**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Hey all, so this will be the ****_LAST_**** chapter to this story. It's kind of a fluffy and cute chapter. Please let me know what you all think. **

**Thanks so much for reading and commenting on it! :) Hope you all enjoy this chapter and the epilogue. **

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE-The Mysterious Ways Of Love- **

The early morning was shining bright as she rolled over into Stefan.

"Oh God! I have to go pick up Bonnie and we have to meet Katherine in an hour!" Elena shrieked, as she picked up her cell phone and glanced over at it, her body tightening when she thought about hanging out with Katherine all day long.

"Ugh...She's going to be-" Elena began to complain as Stefan groaned, pulling her towards him.

"She won't be rude because all Katherine cares about is herself and on occasion, Damon. So, she won't be rude if you keep the talk to a minimum." Stefan suggested.

Elena finally got up, pulling her pink sweatshirt over her shoulders and slowly making her way into the bathroom. "You know, maybe it'll be a good thing that we're going to be part of the wedding. I've always loved weddings..I mean, when I was with Daniel, I had thought that one day I'd have this extravagant wedding with 250-300 people there, on a lake some place with music and dancing all night long..It was kind of my dream to get married in a huge lavish ceremony. But, now..I think that if I ever were to get married, I'd be okay with calling a few close friends and a few family members..you know, keeping it simple." She elaborated, gazing over to see Stefan push himself off the bed, slipping into his jeans and pulling them over his legs when he smiled at her.

"Yeah, well..you and I still have a ways to go until we hear wedding bells. But, it doesn't mean that it wouldn't be possible. I love you and I could totally see you as my wife." He commented, buttoning up his jeans as he winked at her, taking note of the redness in Elena's cheeks.

"Oh, stop. You're just saying that..You and me would be an odd married couple..I like us the way we are." She told him, a smirk forming on her face when she watched Stefan walk over to her, picking up his shirt along the way and pulling it over his head.

"Oh yeah. But, could you imagine all the sex we would have when and if we were to get married one day..I mean, it blows my mind, thinking about calling you my wife and just constantly getting down and dirty." Stefan replied, a grin on his face from ear to ear when he pushed Elena back into the bathroom, against the wall.

His hands roaming under her thin white tank top as he kissed her neck, pushing his body weight against her and hearing when she whimpered out. " Down and dirty? What are we...hillbillies? Stefan, as much as I would love to stay here with you and sex you up..I think all this therapy is getting to your head." She told him, placing her hand onto his chest and watching when his face fell, his smile quickly fading as he sighed.

"Oh, come on! Can't a man just get some really needed action from his girlfriend..I miss you. Screw Katherine, you don't need to go with her. You and I can pick out your own dress and that way, I can help you take it off in the fitting room...a few times." He winked, gazing over at Elena who was shaking her head at him, a smile lingering on her face.

"Sounds tempting..Really it does. But, I still need to go. What would Katherine think of me if I just didn't show up. I'm trying to make a good impression and make her realize that she did make the right choice in picking me as her maid of honor. Now, when I get home later tonight..I promise that you and I can play around with my new dress. But, until then...Go occupy yourself with something non sex related. Go for a jog or play poker with Damon." She suggested, taking one of her dark grey shrugs and pulling it over the white tank top, straightening her long brown hair as she looked over at Stefan who was still frowning at her, a look of utter disappointment in his eyes.

"You're kidding right? So, you want me to lose all my money while I play poker with my brother for fun and also try not to think about how sexy and irresistible you're going to look in a tight new dress that I know you will buy just to drive me crazy and see how long it will take me to not try and rip it off of you..That, my darling Elena is not going to happen. I'm coming with you!" He stated in a firm tone, hearing Elena let out a staggered breath and roll her dark brown eyes at him.

"Stefan, it's a girls day. Last time I checked, no guys allowed." She reminded him, watching as he pouted at her, turning away from her and walking out of the bathroom where Elena had left him standing from earlier.

"I can casually run into you at one of the stores! I don't have to come with you..I'll steal you away from them and take you into one of those fitting rooms. Come on, I'm your hot and adorable boyfriend. You can't turn me down or an offer to have some fun in a fitting room." Stefan said, hearing as Elena stopped the rummaging through her purse and puckered up her lips at him, sending a loud popping noise through the air.

"You really want to have sex. Don't you." Elena said, a smirk on her face when she watched Stefan step in front of her, licking his lips when he saw that the black bra she was wearing under her white tank top, that was showing a bit. "By the way, that's kind of tacky...The white tank top and black bra..It doesn't go well." He told Elena, leaning into her, their eyes locked onto each other, his warm breath sweeping across her already flushed face.

"Oh...Really? What are going to do about it?" She asked, taunting in her tone when she secured her eyes on him, painfully and agonizing pushing him away from her when she slowly started to pull off the grey shrug that was against her body.

"I'll help you take it off. We've got like 20 minutes. If Katherine calls and starts bitching about you being late. You can tell her you had a bit of a fashion mishap and I had to help you correct it." Stefan commented, walking behind Elena and slipping his hands under her shirt, feeling as her body instantly relaxed under his touch and she placed her head back onto his shoulder, giving up her fight almost instantly when he began to leave kisses against her neck. "Now, where were we..Oh, yeah that's right..I just won you over."

Elena shuttered when she felt his hands pull her towards him, both of them wrapping around her stomach, the force of his rough pull made her close her eyes and breathe out quickly. "Stefan...Just stop talking." She commented, turning around in his arms and locking her desire filled eyes on him.

"Excuse me?" He asked, a beaming smile on his face as he nodded at her and began to slowly take off her shirt, clearing winning the battle without any resistance.

"What was that...I couldn't really hear you." He replied in a teasing tone, watching as Elena's hands instantly went to the button on his jeans, undoing them swiftly and gazing up at him as she spoke placing her finger onto his lips and narrowing her eyes at him."We have 20 minutes before Katherine starts to freak out about me being late. Now, stop talking and just kiss me."

* * *

"Where the hell have you been?" Bonnie asked, watching as Elena strolled into the small cafe that they had all agreed to meet up at, 15 minutes ago.

"I was um...I had some trouble with my clothing and...Well, let's just say that I needed some help." Elena replied, hearing as Katherine scuffed, coming around the corner with three cups of hot coffee in her hands, one of which was tea for her.

"A fashion mishap? Since when do you have fashion mishaps and end up leaving the house with your shirt inside out..Let me guess..Stefan didn't want you to go." Katherine declared, watching as Elena sunk down into her seat, her face turning almost every color of red imaginable.

"Is it that obvious? I mean, I..." Her voice trailed off, crinkling her nose as she watched Bonnie lean into her, trying to wipe off the red mark that was clear as day on Elena's neck.

"Oh yeah, you might want to put some cover up on that hicky..it's pretty red...Kind of like your face." Katherine observed, leaning back into her chair and exhaling deeply.

"I wish that Jeremy and I were more like that, all over each other all the time. I mean, it doesn't help that you and Stefan are dancing partners..I bet, he must go insane when he's dancing with you!" Bonnie commented, letting out a laugh as she looked over at Elena, watching as the brunette nearly choked on her coffee.

"Oh, trust me..It doesn't. But, I love torturing him. It's fun." Elena replied, wiping her mouth with her hands and grinning widely at both Bonnie and Katherine.

"You two seem really happy. It's nice, all of us have good relationships." Bonnie said, hearing when Katherine let out a loud sigh.

"The one thing about the Salvatore boys it that they really know how to treat a woman..Elena, you got very lucky with Stefan. He's a great catch..Trust me, I would know." Katherine told her, a sincere tone in her voice as she gazed over at Elena.

"I know, I am really lucky to have him. The day that I nearly ran over him and sent him flying into that ditch..wasn't one of our finest moments. And not to mention my stupidity in thinking that I could actually have a life with Daniel. It was foolish of me to leave Stefan and that will always be one of my regrets. But, we learn from our mistakes and these last few months of us being together and me helping him heal from the motorcycle accident. It changed us both and made us realize that life it too short to dwell on things. We just need to live in the moment and love as much as we can. I love him and I am so thankful that we found each other." Elena explained, watching as Katherine and Bonnie both nodded, hearing when Bonnie sniffled a bit and smiled with watery eyes.

"Sweetie, he loves you too and he's really happy that he found you. You guys are meant to be." Bonnie told her, leaning over and placing her hand onto Elena's as she secured her gaze upon her.

"I know. Anyways, enough about our guys. How about we go and look a few of those dresses?" Katherine said, pushing herself up and smiling, watching as the girls followed her as well, giving each other knowing looks as they shrugged their shoulders back, following Katherine out of the cafe and towards one of the many store window fronts that they each had seen earlier.

* * *

It had been hours since they had left and Stefan was anxious, it was clear that he was more nervous for what Elena would say to Katherine, if either one of them made any comment about her and Stefan's past relationship.

"Will you stop pacing and sit your ass down!" Damon told him in a stern tone, watching as Stefan ran his hands through his hair.

"I just...Elena and Katherine...Your soon to be wife and my current girlfriend...You know, it's not a good combination!" He told him, eyeing his brother who was lying on the couch, his feet resting over the arm rest and his head on the other side, leaning over to see the worry in his little brother's eyes.

"Stefan, you kind of pushed Elena to go out with my soon to be wife. Just relax, what's the worst that could happ-" Damon began to say, his thoughts instantly all coming to a stop when he turned his head to hear the front door to their apartment unlock and in came a very sickly looking Katherine with a worried Elena trailing right behind her.

"What's wrong with her?" Damon asked, lifting himself up from the couch and rushing over to be at Katherine's side, his heart fell to the pit of his stomach when she leaned her head on Damon's shoulder and let out a quivering sound past her lips as Damon walked her over to the couch and sat down with her.

"Elena, what happened?" Stefan asked her, pulling her closely to him and staring at her concerned facial expression.

"I'm not really sure, we went out to lunch after we went shopping and within a few hours after we were about to head back to the car and go to another dress shop to check out something for Bonnie, Katherine started complaining of stomach pains and then she threw up." Elena explained, resting her hand on Stefan's back as she heard him exhale deeply.

"Katherine, sweetie..What's going on?" Damon asked her, hovering over her pale looking face, watching with cautious blue eyes as Katherine brought up her hand towards him, pulling his face closer to her as she whispered into his ear. "I think I might be pregnant, Damon."

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**A/N: You can follow me on twitter for updates to my other stories and also to see if I'll be coming up with something new. :)**

**Once again, thanks so much for reading!**


	24. Epilogue

**A/N: The Epilogue does have a 3 MONTH TIME JUMP! The Epilogue was kind of short though because I kind of ran out of ideas to write..However, I still hope that you guys enjoy this last update for this story!**

**Please let me know what you all think & Thanks for reading!**

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**Epilogue- The Mysterious Ways Of Love **

** ...Three Months Later...**

"How am I ever supposed to fit into this wedding dress!" Katherine complained, gently placing it onto the bed in her and Damon's bedroom, watching as Elena pinned her hair back and looked thru the vanity mirror at her.

"Look, I'm sure that we can add a few elastics or something to the back. It's not like you've gained weight..I mean, you're not fat by any means. I just..Oh, shit! I'm sorry. I'm saying the wrong things to a pregnant girl. I'm just so nervous, this competition that Stefan and I have been training for is tonight and I just need to not screw up." Elena told her, hearing as Katherine laughed and shrugged her shoulders back.

"Elena, it doesn't matter if I'm pregnant or not, I still would have punched you in the face if you called me fat..Oh dear..Did I say that out loud? I'm sorry, I'm just really nervous..My wedding day is tomorrow and here I am, spending the rest of my day with you and going to watch you and Stefan dance it up on the dance floor." Katherine told her, a snarky tone in her voice as she rolled her eyes and sat on the bed, a loud huffed out breath escaping past her lips.

"You know, If you're going to be a bitch about it. You don't need to come and watch us. I have my brother, Bonnie, Caroline , her new baby girl and Tyler are all coming to this thing. So, if you want to stay and work on very last minute wedding details. I'll completely understand." Elena said, her tone turning from harsh to a bit soft as she turned around to look over at Katherine directly.

She had her face in her hands, rubbing her temples as she took in a deep breath and cleared her throat to speak. "Fine, I'll come to see you guys dance. But, with all the training hours that Damon and I put into helping you two..Especially you. I really hope that you don't screw things up. You guys better win or at least dance your hearts out." Katherine told her, her voice was low and intense, watching as Elena swallowed hard and nodded at her...Only 4 more hours to go until show time...

* * *

The place was packed, the dance floor and whole room was blaring with music as Elena fixed the strap on her falling high heels. "You ready, we're up next." Stefan told her, softly massaging her back as Elena leaned her head against his chest, smiling up at him.

"Oh, totally ready. But, this dress is a bit tight." She commented, trying to take a full breath but failing at it as she heard Stefan chuckle, his hands firmly on her hips when he leaned his face towards her ear. "Oh, well..I can fix that once we leave this place tonight."

"You're not funny..We have to look good tomorrow. We have bitchatherine's wedding to go too. Not to mention you have to be up early and make sure that Damon doesn't get cold feet. Since Katherine's learned she was pregnant, she's been a bitch and I just-" Elena began to elaborate, wanting to add more to her thoughts. But, she quickly got cut off with the loud sound of one of the judges announcing their names. "Show time, let's go and give them something to watch." Stefan commented, pulling Elena reluctantly out from behind the red curtains and onto the dance floor as his hands fell to her hips and once the music started, he swayed their bodies to the beat, whispering to Elena to just follow his lead and remember to look at his face, not his feet.

* * *

Her feet were throbbing as the music ended, her head was spinning from the numerous turns and twists that they had done. But, Elena was content in knowing that they had tried the best they could. Yet, when the announcement was made that another team took home the grand prize of a gold trophy, she was a bit disappointed..all their hard work to get to this point was only rewarded with a really good dance. Yet, she guessed that it was better than nothing and totally messing it all up!

"You know, I was expecting to be more pissed off. But, Katherine looked like she was foaming at the mouth when the dark haired older announcer said that the team from the Bronx won the new title of ballroom dancing champs. I mean, you and I danced a little bit more sexier that we should have for this Latin inspired dance." Elena told Stefan, watching as he sped down the freeway, his hands running through his hair when he exited out towards their apartment, glancing over at her just for a brief moment to nod.

"Do you ever think about what would have happened if we hadn't met the way we did?" He asked her suddenly, turning around to face her fully when he parked the car in their parking spot.

"Sometimes, I do. But, everything happens for a reason, Stefan. And, I honestly think that I was meant to come to Stella's B & B, nearly run you over and then make up for it by falling in love with your previous jerky self, all for a reason." Elena told him with a smirk, watching as Stefan gave her a shrug of his shoulders.

"I was a jerk, huh?" He asked, a joking tone in his voice as Elena rolled her eyes at him, playfully pushing him against the driver's side door as she laughed.

"Oh my god..Yes you were and I was a bitch! Do you remember the first thing you said to me when you took me down to that waterfall thing in the woods. You said _"Hi. I'm Stefan Salvatore. I work at your brother's Bed and Breakfast with my brother and his girlfriend, Katherine. She's a bitch and I would recommend not meeting her yet. But, I'm a recovering jackass...and you are?" _Elena commented, a loud heartfelt squeal escaping her mouth as Stefan frowned at her in the dim light of the apartment lights that shined into the car windows.

"Oh yeah..I was a big jackass..Recovery worked well..But, what about you? Remember what you told me...You had said it all with a pretty straight face too. If I remember correctly, it went something like this..._"Hi. I'm Elena Gilbert. I'm here because my boyfriend of nearly two years asked me to marry him and I don't do commitment very well. So, I took off. Both of my best friends live here, so being here is closer to home than anything. I'm a recovering rich princess, who got spoiled by her wealthy boyfriend a ton, So..it's a learning process."_ He told her, laughing equally as loud as Elena was when she turned in her seat and smiled, speaking with a nearly strangled voice from laughing so hard.

"Oh yeah and we agreed to be break up buddies and I guess that now I obviously do commitment pretty well..I mean, we've lasted for a while." Elena reminded him, watching as Stefan nodded, grabbing on to her hand and leaning towards her a bit as he whispered.

" Yes, I guess you do commit pretty well, now. But, am I a good break up buddy?" He asked, watching as Elena's eyes glistened in the light.

"The best...You are the best break up buddy that a girl could have ever asked for and you've finally recovered from being a jackass. I mean, you practically made me realize that Daniel was an asshole and that I didn't need him..I never did, Stefan." Elena commented, leaning a bit closer towards him as he grinned at her, pulling back a bit.

"Oh? My little recovered rich princess is finally realizing what I've known all along..Hmm..What's all this talk about this realization though?" He asked her, a wide toothy smile on his face as Elena laughed and placed her hand onto his shoulder.

"I realized that love works in mysterious ways and up until the point when I met you, I never understood it. We can't help who we fall in love with. However, I do know that you are the one person that I can't be without. I love you, Stefan and I am thankful that we have each other because you changed me into someone that I'm not ashamed of anymore. You made me realize that it's okay to fall in love with your best friend, even if he is a jerk in the beginning." Elena explained, placing her hands onto Stefan's face and caressing the sides of his cheeks with her finger tips.

She felt as Stefan ran his hands gently through her hair, slowly pulling her into a slow kiss. But, just as Stefan moved away and locked his green eyes on her. Elena Gilbert knew that she was finally where she had always belonged...With Stefan...Elena was home and for the first time in years, she was happy, deep down in her heart, knowing that whatever they faced in the future, they would be able to do it together.

**-The End-**


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